Incidental findings detected on magnetic resonance imaging scans of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine of patients prediagnosed with discopathy

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency and types of incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine in patients with intervertebral discopathy. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 1000 patients (513 females and 487 males, with a mean age of 50.5 years) with clinically suspected intervertebral discopathy who underwent MRI. Any abnormal findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations unrelated to the primary complaint were referred to as incidental findings. Frequency distributions of the assessed imaging characteristics were calculated. Results: Of the 1000 patients, 192 (19.2%) patients were presented with incidental findings. The positive findings in the thoracic spine (26%) were higher than those in the lumbar (19.8%) and cervical spine (13.7%). The study found vertebral haemangioma to be the most common finding, followed by Schmorl’s nodes in the thoracic and lumbar spine. Thyroid nodules constituted the most common finding in the cervical spine, followed by vertebral haemangioma. Renal cysts in the thoracic and lumbar spine and thyroid nodules in the cervical spine were the most frequent extraspinal findings. Conclusion: Incidental findings are commonly detected during MRI examination of intervertebral discs, and most are benign findings. However, incidental findings including clinically essential findings can alter the patient’s treatment or affect the patient’s life. Therefore, it is crucial to systematically evaluate MRIs without focusing solely on the spine and report incidental findings detected on MRI.