Urgent and unexpected findings in oncology and hematology patients: A practical approach to imaging

Abstract

Urgent and unexpected findings are very common in oncology and haematology patients. This article reviews the most important points included in the European Society of Radiology's guidelines and proposes a practical approach to reporting and communicating these findings more efficiently. This approach is explained with illustrative examples. Radiologists can provide added value in the management of these findings by helping referring clinicians reach the best decisions. To this end, it is essential to know the imaging manifestations of the most common findings that must be reported urgently, such as the specific toxicity of different treatments, the complications of tumours and catheters, infections, and thrombosis. Moreover, it is crucial to consider the individual patient's treatment, risk factors, clinical situation, and immune status.

Keywords: Diagnostic imaging; Diagnóstico por imagen; Emergencies; Hallazgo accidental; Incidental finding; Infecciones; Infections; Neoplasias; Neoplasms; Thrombosis; Trombosis; Urgencias.