Berlin Leonard
Department of Radiology, Rush Medical College, 1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Radiol Clin North Am. 2011 Mar;49(2):245-55. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2010.11.002.
With the advent of high-resolution computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography, the frequency of radiologists' serendipitous discovery of incidentalomas is increasing. If the radiologist believes an incidentaloma is of no clinical significance, then making mention of it in the radiological report may possibly lead to a cascade of tests, biopsies, and other surgical procedures, which occasionally can cause serious complications. But if the incidentaloma is not reported and it later turns out to be an early carcinoma or sign of other significant disease, the patient's health may be irreversibly jeopardized. In either case, medical malpractice litigation could well ensue.
随着高分辨率计算机断层扫描、磁共振成像和超声检查的出现，放射科医生偶然发现意外瘤的频率正在增加。如果放射科医生认为某个意外瘤没有临床意义，那么在放射学报告中提及它可能会引发一系列检查、活检和其他外科手术，这些操作偶尔会导致严重并发症。但如果未报告该意外瘤，而后来发现它是早期癌症或其他重大疾病的迹象，患者的健康可能会受到不可逆转的损害。在这两种情况下，都很可能引发医疗事故诉讼。
