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Incidental Imaging Finding
Aka: Incidental Imaging Finding, Incidentaloma
- Definitions
- Incidentaloma
- Advanced imaging incidental finding that has unclear significance
- Findings: Incidental
- Pituitary Incidentaloma
- Thyroid Nodule
- Pulmonary Nodule
- Hepatic Incidentaloma
- Pancreatic Cyst
- Adrenal Incidentaloma
- Renal Cyst
- Ovarian Mass
- Types: Categories of findings
- Probably normal
- See Incidental findings as above
- Provide written and oral precautions to discuss findings with primary provider
- Uncertain significance
- Additional imaging and evaluation will be needed
- Recommend follow-up to discuss findings and further evaluation
- Highly suspicious finding
- Arrange immediate follow-up with either primary provider or specialist
- Contact the provider (phone, EMR message)
- Involve a family member if available and patient agrees
- Precautions
- Best prevention of Incidentalomas is to limit advanced imaging to only when specifically indicated
- Incidental findings are common (4.5% to 33% of imaging reports), but <10-50% are notified in their discharge paperwork
- Dutta (2013) Ann Emerg Med 62(2): 162-9 +PMID:23548405 [PubMed]
- Munk (2010) J Emerg Med 38(3): 346-50 +PMID:18804935 [PubMed]
- Thompson (2011) Emerg Med Int 2011:624847 +PMID: 22046542 [PubMed]
- References
- McCollum in Herbert (2019) EM:Rap 19(5): 13-4
- Hitzeman (2014) Am Fam Physician 90(11): 784-9 [PubMed]