Incidental MRI findings

Incidental brain MRI findings are not uncommon.

  • In a study of 5,400 subjects age 45 and older (mean age 64.9), 9.5% of subjects had incidental findings, most commonly meningiomas (2.5%), and cerebral aneurysms (2.3%), arachnoid cyst (1.6%), and pituitary abnormalities (1.2%).
  • 3% of subjects required further diagnostic evaluation, but most did not have direct clinical consequence.

References

Bos D, et al. Prevalence, Clinical Management, and Natural Course of Incidental Findings on Brain MR Images: The Population-based Rotterdam Scan Study. Radiology. 2016 Nov;281(2):507-515. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27337027/

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