title: Non-contrast-enhanced whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in the general population: the incidence of abnormal findings in patients 50 years old and younger compared to older subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess and compare the incidence of abnormal findings detected during non-contrast-enhanced whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) in the general population in two age groups: (1) 50 years old and younger; and (2) over 50 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis included 666 non-contrast-enhanced WB-MRIs performed on a 1.5-T scanner between December 2009 and June 2013 in a private hospital in 451 patients 50 years old and younger and 215 patients over 50 years old. The following images were obtained: T2-STIR (whole body-coronal plane), T2-STIR (whole spine-sagittal), T2-TSE with fat-saturation (neck and trunk-axial), T2-FLAIR (head-axial), 3D T1-GRE (thorax-coronal, axial), T2-TSE (abdomen-axial), chemical shift (abdomen-axial). Detected abnormalities were classified as: insignificant (type I), potentially significant, requiring medical attention (type II), significant, requiring treatment (type III).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 3375 incidental findings depicted in 659 (98.9%) subjects: 2997 type I lesions (88.8%), 363 type II lesions (10.8%) and 15 type III lesions (0.4%), including malignant or possibly malignant lesions in seven subjects. The most differences in the prevalence of abnormalities on WB-MRI between patients 50 years old and younger and over 50 years old concerned: brain infarction (22.2%, 45.0% respectively), thyroid cysts/nodules (8.7%, 18.8%), pulmonary nodules (5.0%, 16.2%), significant degenerative disease of the spine (23.3%, 44.5%), extra-spinal degenerative disease (22.4%, 61.1%), hepatic steatosis (15.8%, 24.9%), liver cysts/hemangiomas (24%, 34.5%), renal cysts (16.9%, 40.6%), prostate enlargement (5.1% of males, 34.2% of males), uterine fibroids (16.3% of females, 37.9% of females).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incidental findings were detected in almost all of the subjects. WB-MRI demonstrated that the prevalence of the vast majority of abnormalities increases with age.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Diagnostic Center, Medicover Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cieszanowski
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Diagnostic Center, Medicover Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maj
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Diagnostic Center, Medicover Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kulisiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Warsaw, Faculty of Pharmacy, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ireneusz P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Grudzinski
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jakoniuk-Glodala
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chlipala-Nitek
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaczynski
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Olgierd
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rowinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D051598:Whole Body Imaging; D055815:Young Adult