Table 3.
Critical and Indeterminate Incidental Findings, Validated Findings, and Reported True‐Positive, False‐Positive, and False‐Negative Findings per Included Study
| Study | Critical findings (number) | Indeterminate incidental findings (number) | Frequency of reported validated findings | Reported true‐positive findings (number) and final diagnosis | Reported false‐positive findings (number) and final diagnosis | Reported false negatives (number) and final diagnosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee et al14 |
‐ Tongue mass (1) ‐ Renal mass (4) ‐ Pancreas lesion (1) ‐ Aortic dissection (1) ‐ Hepatic nodule or mass (13) ‐ Hydronephrosis (1) ‐ Complex ovary cyst (6) ‐ Dilatation of biliary tree (2) ‐ Pancreatic duct dilatation (4) ‐ Enlarged cervical lymph nodes (short axis >1 cm) (2) |
‐ Cerebromalacia (1) ‐ Thyroid nodule (4) ‐ Diffuse thyroid abnormality (2) ‐ Gallbladder polyps (3) ‐ Cystic pancreatic lesion (2) ‐ Neurogenic tumor (1) ‐ Vertebral compression fracture (4) ‐ Bone marrow edema (14) |
1/66 | Renal mass (1) → carcinoma | NR | NR |
| Perkins et al15 |
‐ Intracranial aneurysm (1) ‐ Anterior mediastinal mass (1) ‐ Enlarged aortic root (1) ‐ Lung lesion (1) ‐ Possible renal mass (1) ‐ Complex renal mass (1) ‐ Complicated renal cyst (1) ‐ Prostate lesion (2) ‐ Common iliac artery aneurysm of 2.6 cm (1) |
‐ String of beads appearance of cervical carotid arteries (may represent fibromuscular dysplasia) (1) ‐ 50% loss of signal of the left internal carotid artery at the junction of the cavernous and petrous portions (1) ‐ Cystic parotid gland lesion (1) |
8/13 |
‐ Anterior mediastinal mass (1) → thymoma ‐ Possible renal mass (1) → carcinoma ‐ Prostate lesion (2) → carcinoma ‐ Cystic parotid gland lesion (1) → pleiomorphic adenoma |
‐ String of beads appearance of cervical carotid arteries (1) → refuted (no abnormality) ‐ Complicated renal cyst (1) → Bosniak 2 cyst ‐ Complex renal mass (1) → refuted (no abnormality) |
NR |
| Saya et al 16 | None | ‐Edema and fatty changes in the gastrocnemius muscle (1) | 1/1 | None | Edema and fatty changes in the gastrocnemius muscle (1) → benign vascular malformation | NR |
| Ulus et al17 |
‐ Pulmonary nodule (1) ‐ Tuberculosis pneumonia (1) ‐ Renal mass (1) ‐ Adrenal mass (1) ‐ Cystic pancreatic mass (1) ‐ Splenic mass (1) |
‐ Thyroid nodule (8) ‐ Spinal epidural mass (2) |
15/16 |
‐ Renal mass (1) → carcinoma ‐ Adrenal mass (1) → carcinoma ‐ Spinal intradural mass (2) → schwannoma ‐ Cystic pancreatic mass (1) → mucinous cystadenocarcinoma |
‐ Thyroid nodules (8) → benign nodules ‐ Pulmonary nodule (1) <5 mm → benign ‐ Splenic mass (1) → healing hydatic cyst lesion |
‐ Thyroid carcinoma (1) diagnosed after one year ‐ Coccygeal chordoma (1) diagnosed after two years |
| Tarnoki et al19 |
‐ Lung lesion (1) ‐ Pararectal lesion suspected for malignancy (1) ‐ Solid liver lesion (3) ‐ Pleural effusion (3) ‐ Ascites (1) |
‐ Nonspecific lymph nodes (5) ‐ Liver steatosis (1) ‐ Inguinal hernia (1) |
0/16 | NR | NR | NR |
| Cieszanowski et al20 |
‐ FLAIR hyperintense area in frontal lobe (1) ‐ Pulmonary nodule (59) ‐ Lung lesion (1) ‐ Renal lesion (1) ‐ Complicated renal cyst (1) ‐ Ovarian tumor (1) ‐ Testicular lesion (1) ‐ Lung, liver and adrenal gland lesions (1) ‐ Enlarged neck lymph nodes (21) ‐ Enlarged thoracic lymph nodes (32) ‐ Enlarged abdominal lymph nodes (10) ‐ Splenomegaly (10) |
‐ Brain infarctions (169) ‐ Cerebral atrophy (8) ‐ Thyroid nodules/cysts (81) ‐ Hepatic steatosis (126) ‐ Cystic pancreatic lesion (12) ‐ Bone marrow edema (32) ‐ Endplate fracture (17) |
5/584 |
‐ FLAIR hyperintense area in frontal lobe (1) → glioma ‐ Lung lesion (1) → carcinoma ‐ Renal lesion (1) → renal carcinoma ‐ Testicular lesion (1) → Leydig cell tumor ‐ Lung, liver and adrenal lesions (1) → metastases |
NR | NR |
| Hegenscheid et al21 |
‐ Brain glioma (2) ‐ Brain metastasis (1) ‐ Intraventricular tumor (8) ‐ Subdural hematoma (1) ‐ Intracranial aneurysm (15) ‐ Normal pressure hydrocephalus (1) ‐ Extracranial soft tissue tumor (1) ‐ Goitre with tracheal compression (9) ‐ Thyroid tumor (3) ‐ Cystic or solid pharyngeal or laryngeal tumor (40) ‐ Cystic or solid salivary gland tumor (9) ‐ Cervical lymphadenopathy (8) ‐ Pulmonary nodule (56) ‐ Pneumonia (5) ‐ Pleural effusion (2) ‐ Hilar, mediastinal or axillary lymphadenopathy (13) ‐ Thoracic aorta aneurysm (10) ‐ Heart failure (5) ‐ Myocardial tumor (1) ‐ Pericardial effusion (1/) ‐ Breast lesion ≥BI‐RADS 3 (97) ‐ Hepatocellular carcinoma (1) ‐ Unclear liver lesion (44) ‐ Liver cirrosis (8) ‐ Liver hemochromatosis (5) ‐ Cholestasis (24) ‐ Pancreatic tumor (11) ‐ Splenomegaly (7) ‐ Splenic tumor (5) ‐ Gastrointestinal tumor (6) ‐ Complex renal cyst (110) ‐ Renal carcinoma (13) ‐ Unclear adrenal tumor (8) ‐ Chronic urinary obstruction (5) ‐ Urinary bladder tumor (6) ‐ Complex ovarian cyst or tumor (80) ‐ Uterine or cervical tumor (13) ‐ Abdominal lymphadenopathy (16) ‐ Testicular, epididymal or seminal vesicle tumor (7) ‐ Inguinal testis (11) ‐ Abdominal aorta aneurysm (10) ‐ Absolute spinal canal stenosis with myelopathy (49) ‐ Intraspinal tumor (7) ‐ Bone metastases (8) ‐ Plasmacytoma (2) |
‐ Brain infarction (1) ‐ Brain cavernoma (13) ‐ Pituitary adenoma (9) ‐ Meningioma (9) ‐ Vestibular schwannoma (1) ‐ >50% internal carotid artery stenosis (15) ‐ Thoracic aorta stenosis (1) ‐ Angiomyolipoma (9) ‐ Large abdominal herniation (3) ‐ Abdominal aorta stenosis (3) ‐ Severe bone edema (23) |
0/833 | NR | NR | NR |
| Laible et al11 |
‐ Signs of pericarditis (1) ‐ Pneumonia (1) ‐ Low‐grade aortic aneurysm (2) ‐ Unspecified brain lesion (10) ‐ Pulmonary nodule (1) ‐ Enlarged mediastinal, hilar, or axillary lymph nodes (5) ‐ Encapsulated pleural effusion (1) ‐ Aortic wall ulcer (1) ‐ Cirrhosis, liver steatosis, or ascites (2) ‐ Compression of celiac trunk (2) ‐ Infrarenal aortic dissection (1) ‐ Superficial femoral artery dissection (1) |
‐ Gliosis (6) ‐ White‐matter lesions (9) ‐ Meningioma (1) ‐ Microangiopahic brain changes (3) ‐ Atypical intracranial vessels (1) ‐ Cardiac abnormalities (myocardial hypertrophy (4), infarction (2/), cardiac perfusion deficit (13), myocardial wall motion abnormalities (6), global myocardial dysfunction with ejection fraction <50% (5), valve diseases (9) ‐ Atherosclerosis of large extracranial arteries causing ≥50–70% stenosis (18) |
0/79 | NR | NR | NR |
| Takahara et al23 | ‐Lung lesion (1) | NR | 1/1 | Lung lesion (1) → carcinoma | NR | NR |
| Lo et al26 |
‐ Lung lesion (4/) ‐ Mediastinal lesion (1) ‐ Liver nodules (2) ‐ Renal mass (2) ‐ Pancreatic lesion (1) ‐ Retroperitoneal mass (1) ‐ Prostatic lesion (1) ‐ Bone lesion (2) ‐ Liver cirrhosis (1) ‐ Liver hemochromatosis (1) |
‐ Thyroid nodules (10) ‐ Borderline‐sized lymph nodes (3) |
24/29 |
‐ Thyroid nodule (1) → Hurthle cell tumor ‐ Lung lesion (1) → carcinoma ‐ Renal mass (1) → carcinoma |
‐ Thyroid nodules (9) → benign ‐ Lung lesions (3) → benign ‐ Mediastinal lesion (1) → benign ‐ Liver nodules (2) → benign ‐ Renal mass (1) → angiomyolipoma ‐ Retroperitoneal mass (1) → benign neuroendocrine tumor ‐ Pancreatic lesion (1) → refuted (no abnormality) ‐ Prostatic lesion (1) → refuted (no abnormality) ‐ Bone lesion (2) → benign |
NR |
| Baumgart et al12 |
‐ Intracranial aneurysm (2) ‐ Bronchial carcinoma (2/) ‐ Colon polyps (75) ‐ Renal lesion (5) ‐ Aortic aneurysm (27, 2 >5 cm in size) |
‐ Microangiopathic brain changes (191) ‐ Extra‐axial brain tumor (11) ‐ Cardiac abnormalities (left ventricular hypertrophy (236), infarction (29)) ‐ 10–60% (141) and 60–99% (4) carotid stenosis ‐ Pelvic and leg artery stenosis (49) |
80/743 |
‐ Colon polyps (73) → confirmed ‐ Renal lesion (5) → renal carcinoma |
Colon polyps (2) → refuted (no abnormality) |
NR |
| Goehde et al5 |
‐ Small cerebral tumor (1) ‐ Intracranial aneurysm (1) ‐ Thoracic aorta aneurysm (>4 cm (1/298) ‐ Pulmonary nodule (2, each subject two pulmonary nodules) ‐ Colon polyps (12) ‐ Renal mass (1) ‐ Complicated renal cyst (2) ‐ Infrarenal aortic aneurysm (>4 cm) (2) ‐ Vertebral lesion (1) |
‐ Brain infarction (2) ‐ Cerebral atrophy (1) ‐ Microangiopathic brain changes (5) ‐ Thalamic cavernoma (1) ‐ Intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis (1) ‐ Thyroid lesions/enlargement (4) ‐ Cardiac abnormalities (infarction (1), global or regional myocardial dysfunction (5)) ‐ Hepatic adenoma (1) ‐ Gastric herniation (1) ‐ Atherosclerosis of large extracranial arteries (7) (causing >50% carotid stenosis (2), renal artery stenosis (1), iliac artery stenosis (1), and lower limb artery stenoses (3)) ‐ Focal dissection of infrarenal aorta (1) ‐ Focal dissection of superficial femoral artery (1) |
35/53 |
‐ Intracranial aneurysm (1) → confirmed ‐ Cerebral atrophy (1) → confirmed ‐ Thalamic cavernoma (1) → confirmed ‐ Global or regional myocardial dysfunction (5) → confirmed ‐ Hepatic adenoma (1) → confirmed ‐ Renal mass (1) → carcinoma ‐ Colon polyps (12) → confirmed ‐ Infrarenal aortic aneurysm (2) → confirmed ‐ Arterial stenoses (6) → confirmed ‐ Focal dissection of infrarenal aorta (1) → confirmed ‐ Focal dissection of superficial femoral artery (1) → confirmed |
‐ Pulmonary nodules (2, each subject two pulmonary nodules) → benign ‐ Vertebral lesion (1) → hemangioma |
NR |
aIn Ulus et al's study,17 hepatomegaly, hepatosteatosis, gallbladder polyps smaller than 5 mm, and bladder stones were also detected by whole‐body MRI, but the numbers were not reported. Therefore, we did not include these findings in this table.