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The incidental bone lesion on computed tomography: management tips for abdominal radiologists

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Abstract

Incidental bone lesions are commonly seen on abdominal and pelvic computed tomography (CT) examinations. These incidental bone lesions can be diagnostically challenging to the abdominal radiologist who may not be familiar with their appearance or their appropriate management. The characterization of such bone lesions as non-aggressive or aggressive based on their CT appearance involves similar principles to their morphologic evaluation on radiographs. Knowledge of the age of the patient and the presence of symptoms, mainly bone pain, can improve analysis. Examples of bone lesions that may be encountered include solitary or multifocal bone lesions, osteochondromatous and chondroid tumors, Paget’s disease, avascular necrosis/bone infarctions, iatrogenic lesions, and periarticular lesions. This pictorial essay aims to provide a framework for the analysis of incidental bone lesions on CT and when further imaging and clinical work-up should be recommended.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Ave. MC 114, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA

    Michelle Nguyen & Lewis K. Shin

  2. Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive S056 MC 5105, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Christopher Beaulieu

  3. Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA

    Stefanie Weinstein

  4. Department of Radiology, San Francisco VA Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA

    Stefanie Weinstein

Authors
  1. Michelle Nguyen
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  2. Christopher Beaulieu
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  3. Stefanie Weinstein
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  4. Lewis K. Shin
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Correspondence to Lewis K. Shin.

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Nguyen, M., Beaulieu, C., Weinstein, S. et al. The incidental bone lesion on computed tomography: management tips for abdominal radiologists. Abdom Radiol 42, 1586–1605 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-1040-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-016-1040-0

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