Incidental findings during functional magnetic resonance imaging: ethical and procedural issues.
Incidental findings during fMRI: ethical and procedural issues.This purpose of this report was to describe the discovery of an incidental finding during functional magnetic resonance imaging in a child of typical development. During the completion of a functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol, an abnormality was noted by a board-certified neuroradiologist that was identified as a benign developmental arachnoid pouch. Significant ethical concerns were apparent with the discovery of an incidental finding, which included how to address the likelihood of incidental findings in the consent and assent process, how to disclose the incidental findings to the subject's parents and primary care provider, and how to minimize subject and parental anxiety.
Pierce
Samuel R
SR
Research Department, Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Lauer
Richard T
RT
Prosser
Laura A
LA
Mohamed
Feroze B
FB
Dougherty
Jaimie B
JB
Faro
Scott H
SH
Betz
Randall R
RR
D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics*