An incidental finding is something extra found by an imaging test. For example, your doctor may have ordered a CT scan of your chest to evaluate a blood clot. But since the test gave the radiologist a view of the entire chest, they may have noticed a small growth in one of the lungs.

As radiologists, it is our duty to report incidental findings to your doctor on your radiology report. As the report is also available to you by law, you can read about any incidental findings that may revealed on one of your imaging tests, along with our recommendations for any follow-up testing if needed.

If you had an incidental finding on one of your imaging tests, it’s important not to panic or get worried. In most cases, the problem isn’t serious, or isn’t serious enough to require some type of intervention. Your test may also need to be compared with previous tests you may have had, which can take some time before an official diagnosis is made.

Conversely, an incidental finding may catch a health problem at an earlier stage. CT and MRI scans have revealed early-stage cancers, obstructions, cysts, heart disease and other health conditions that were successfully treated before the patient experienced any related symptoms.

Here’s a noteworthy statistic: According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 2 million people who receive a cancer diagnosis each year in the United States. Approximately 70,000 of these diagnoses were the results of an incidental finding.

Approximately 15-30% of diagnostic imaging radiology reports contain follow-up recommendations based on incidental findings, and this can vary based on the modality used for imaging. Lung nodules represent about half of the incidental findings on CT scans. Considering that lung cancer can be successfully treated when diagnosed at an early stage, this can be a blessing to people who otherwise wouldn’t have had their cancer detected early.

The American College of Radiology has published extensive guidelines on incidental findings. This helps guide radiologists and referring physicians on what to do depending on the type, size and other characteristics of the finding itself. There are also new measures in place for radiology practices like RadX Imaging Partners to monitor incidental finding follow-up recommendations to make sure the patient receives the best possible care.