The clinical dilemma of incidental findings on the low-resolution CT images from SPECT/CT MPI studies

COWARD, Joanne, NIGHTINGALE, Julie and HOGG, Peter (2016). The clinical dilemma of incidental findings on the low-resolution CT images from SPECT/CT MPI studies. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, 44 (3), 167-172.

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Abstract

Incidental findings are common in medical imaging. There is a particularly high prevalence of incidental findings within the thorax, the most frequent being pulmonary nodules. Although pulmonary nodules have the potential to be malignant, most are benign, resulting in a high number of false-positive findings. Low-resolution CT images produced for attenuation correction of SPECT images are essentially a by-product of the imaging process. The high number of false-positive incidental findings detected on these attenuation-correction images causes a reporting dilemma. Early detection of cancer can be beneficial, but false-positive findings and overdiagnosis can be detrimental to the patient. Attenuation-correction CT images are not of diagnostic quality, and further diagnostic tests are usually necessary for a definitive diagnosis to be reached. Given the high number of false-positive findings, the psychologic effect on the patient should be considered. This review recommends caution when the findings on attenuation-correction CT images are routinely reported.

Item Type:	Article
Departments - Does NOT include content added after October 2018:	Health and Well-being > Department of Allied Health Professions
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.116.174557
Page Range:	167-172
Depositing User:	Beatrice Turpin
Date Deposited:	26 Jul 2018 10:39
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2021 07:22
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/22049

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