Incidental findings in healthy control research subjects using whole-body MRI.
OBJECTIVE
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful clinical tool used increasingly in the research setting. We aimed to assess the prevalence of incidental findings in a sequential cohort of healthy volunteers undergoing whole-body MRI as part of a normal control database for imaging research studies.


METHODS
148 healthy volunteers (median age 36 years, range 21-69 years; 63.5% males, 36.5% females) were enrolled into a prospective observational study at a single hospital-based MRI research unit in London, UK. Individuals with a clinical illness, treated or under investigation were excluded from the study.


RESULTS
43 (29.1%) scans were abnormal with a total of 49 abnormalities detected. Of these, 20 abnormalities in 19 patients (12.8%) were of clinical significance. The prevalence of incidental findings increased significantly with both increasing age and body mass index (BMI). Obese subjects had a fivefold greater risk of having an incidental abnormality on MRI (OR 5.4, CI 2.1-14.0).


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that more than one quarter of healthy volunteers have MR-demonstrable abnormalities. There was an increased risk of such findings in obese patients. This has ethical and financial implications for future imaging research, particularly with respect to informed consent and follow-up of those with abnormalities detected during the course of imaging studies.
Morin
S H X
SH
Division of Medicine, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London W12 0NN, UK. s.morin@imperial.ac.uk
Cobbold
J F L
JF
Lim
A K P
AK
Eliahoo
J
J
Thomas
E L
EL
Mehta
S R
SR
Durighel
G
G
Fitzpatrick
J
J
Bell
J D
JD
Taylor-Robinson
S D
SD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012016:Reference Values; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult