Editing Incidental imaging finding (section)

{{Short description|Unanticipated finding unrelated to the original inquiry}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
In [[medicine|medical or research imaging]], an '''incidental imaging finding''' (also called an '''incidentaloma''') is an unanticipated finding which is not related to the original diagnostic inquiry. As with other types of [[incidental medical findings]], they may represent a diagnostic, ethical, and philosophical dilemma because their significance is unclear. While some coincidental findings may lead to beneficial diagnoses, others may lead to [[overdiagnosis]] that results in unnecessary testing and treatment, sometimes called the "cascade effect".<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lumbreras|first1=B|last2=Donat|first2=L|last3=Hernández-Aguado|first3=I|date=2010-04-01|title=Incidental findings in imaging diagnostic tests: a systematic review|journal=The British Journal of Radiology|volume=83|issue=988|pages=276–289|doi=10.1259/bjr/98067945|pmid=20335439|issn=0007-1285|pmc=3473456}}</ref>

Incidental findings are common in imaging. For instance, around 1 in every 3 cardiac [[MRI]]s result in an incidental finding.<ref name="O'Sullivan2018">{{cite journal |last1=O'Sullivan |first1=JW |last2=Muntinga |first2=T |last3=Grigg |first3=S |last4=Ioannidis |first4=JPA |title=Prevalence and outcomes of incidental imaging findings: Umbrella review |journal=[[The BMJ|BMJ]] |date=18 June 2018 |volume=361 |pages=k2387 |doi=10.1136/bmj.k2387 |pmid=29914908|pmc=6283350 }}</ref> Incidence is similar for chest [[CT scan]]s (~30%).<ref name="O'Sullivan2018"/>

As the use of medical imaging increases, the number of incidental findings also increases.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}