Recommendations for the Management of Incidental Musculoskeletal Findings on MRI and CT

Can Assoc Radiol J. 2023 Aug;74(3):514-525. doi: 10.1177/08465371231152151. Epub 2023 Jan 29.

Abstract

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Incidental Findings Working Group consists of both academic subspeciality and general radiologists tasked with either adapting American College of Radiology (ACR) guidelines to meet the needs of Canadian radiologists or authoring new guidelines where appropriate. In this case, entirely new guidelines to deal with incidental musculoskeletal findings that may be encountered on thoracoabdominal computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging were drafted, focussing on which findings should prompt recommendations for further workup. These recommendations discuss how to deal with incidental marrow changes, focal bone lesions, abnormalities of the pubic symphysis and sacroiliac joints, fatty soft tissue masses, manifestations of renal osteodystrophy and finally discuss opportunistic osteoporosis evaluation.

Keywords: bone marrow; fatty tissue masses; focal bone lesions; incidental findings; musculoskeletal; renal osteodystrophy.

MeSH terms

  • Canada
  • Humans
  • Incidental Findings*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Radiologists
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed