Extraspinal incidental findings on cervical vertebrae magnetic resonance imaging

Objective: Cervical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is routinely employed for the assessment of cervical disc pathologies, the evaluation of the cervical spinal canal, and the detection of spinal lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of extraspinal incidental findings in patients undergoing cervical MR imaging and to assess the reporting rates of these findings in archived radiologic reports. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of digital patient archives between January 2022 and December 2023, comprising 1,000 patients who underwent cervical MR imaging at our institution. Two radiologists jointly identified extraspinal incidental findings. This descriptive study analyzed images obtained using a 1.5 Tesla MR imaging system with standard neck coils, evaluating the prevalence and reporting frequency of incidental findings. Results: Among 1,000 patients (580 males, 420 females, mean age: 49±31 years), extraspinal incidental findings were observed in 66.4% (n=664) of cases. The most frequent findings were thyroid nodules (13.8%, n=138), goiter (12.2%, n=122), and mucosal thickening of the paranasal sinuses (11.5%, n=115). Incidental findings were more prevalent in women and in the middle-aged group (35-59 years). Only 14.6% of the 664 incidental lesions were documented in radiology reports. These lesions exhibited variability in anatomical location. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that extraspinal incidental findings are common in routine cervical MR imaging but are often overlooked in radiological reports. Given the potential clinical significance of these findings, their inclusion in reports is important for patient care and management.