[Incidental findings of liver, biliary system, pancreas and spleen in asymptomatic patients : Assessment and management recommendations].

CLINICAL ISSUE

The increased use of highly developed imaging procedures, such as multidetector-row computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging has led to a substantial increase of asymptomatic and unexpected findings.

STANDARD RADIOLOGICAL METHODS

Abdominal CT investigations are particularly affected with a large number of incidental findings. This valuable diagnostic procedure also entails the risk of complex and cost-intensive subsequent investigations with partly invasive procedures.

ACHIEVEMENTS

For this reason radiologists are more often confronted with the difficult task of correctly assessing these lesions, to decide on the need for additional investigations and to inform the patient in detail about the clinical relevance.

PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS

The aims of this article are to describe the most common abdominal incidentalomas, to assist with the interpretation and differential diagnosis and to give recommendations for further management.