Incidental findings in brain MRI research: what do we owe our subjects?

Ronald J H Borra; A Gregory Sorensen

doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2011.08.009

Incidental findings in brain MRI research: what do we owe our subjects?

J Am Coll Radiol. 2011 Dec;8(12):848-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2011.08.009.

Authors

Ronald J H Borra¹, A Gregory Sorensen

Affiliation

¹ Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts 02129, USA. ronald.borra@tyks.fi

PMID: 22137002
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2011.08.009

Abstract

Concern regarding incidental findings on brain MRI studies has been increasing with the growing use of MRI as tool for scientific investigation. In this article, the authors provide an overview of possible approaches to address incidental findings. Incidental findings are surprisingly common (5%-20% of all examinations), although the percentage of clinically serious abnormalities is low (0.3%-3.4%). At present, there is no consensus concerning the optimal strategy on how to deal with incidental findings, in particular how to fulfill ethical responsibilities appropriately within the constraints of available resources. There are a variety of responses possible, and currently, reasonable guidelines exist for formulating a plan tailored to the needs of each institution that will meet the reasonable expectations of subjects participating in brain research studies.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brain Diseases / diagnosis*
Humans
Incidental Findings*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Patient Rights / ethics*
Physician's Role
Physician-Patient Relations / ethics*
Radiology / ethics*
Truth Disclosure / ethics*
United States