title: Prevalence and clinical relevance of extracardiac findings at cardiac MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the incidence of extracardiac findings in patients undergoing clinical cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) of the heart, and to determine the influence of those findings on patient management.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 40 months, 854 CMRI were performed at 1.5 T. Extracardiac findings were classified as significant (group A), if recommended for additional diagnostics or therapeutic interventions, and as nonsignificant (group B).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent indication for CMRI was evaluation of cardiac stress ischemia. In all, 631 CMRI (74% of 854) showed no extracardiac pathologies. In the remaining 223 CMRI (26% of 854), a total of 286 extracardiac findings were detected. Among these findings, 49 were considered significant (group A) and 237 nonsignificant (group B). In group A, the most common findings were suspicious pulmonary nodules or masses. In group B, the most frequent findings were hepatic cysts or hemangiomas. Eight malignancies were observed with certainty at CMRI. Seven of them had been incidentally diagnosed on CMRI for the first time, and subsequently changed the patients' management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extracardiac findings in clinically indicated CMRI are common (about 26%). Radiologists and cardiologists should be aware of relevant extracardiac findings that might require additional diagnostics or treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Heart Center, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan Martin
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sohns
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Menke
authors.forename: Wieland
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Staab
authors.forename: Judith Eva
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Spiro
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lotz
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Unterberg-Buchwald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D007223:Infant; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055613:Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / Q000175:diagnosis; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Cardiac MRI; cardiac diagnostic; cardiac imaging; extracardiac findings; heart disease; heart imaging