title: Management of patients with incidental findings in imaging tests: a large prospective single-center study.
abstract: We prospectively followed up patients with an incidental finding detected in an image test to assess the additional interventions carried out and the clinical implications of the incidental findings detected. Out of 474 patients with an incidental finding, 63 (13.3%) were further evaluated, and of these patients, 25 (39.7%) had clinical implications. Patients who had an X-ray (24/76, 31.6%), with a preoperative examination (19/77 24.7%), and with an incidental finding in the thoracic cavity (34/117, 29.1%) or in the head/neck (6/28, 21.4%) were more likely to have additional evaluations.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Department, Miguel Hernández University, Alicante, Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: blumbreras@umh.es.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lumbreras
authors.affiliation: Radiodiagnostic Department, San Juan Hospital, San Juan de Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: González-Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Public Health Department, Miguel Hernández University, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Noemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gómez-Sáez
authors.affiliation: Radiodiagnostic Department, San Juan Hospital, San Juan de Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: M Fermina
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lorente
authors.affiliation: Public Health Department, Miguel Hernández University, Alicante, Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ildefonso
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernández-Aguado
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Additional evaluations; Cohort study; Imaging tests; Incidental findings