Incidental thorax imaging findings in abdominal computed tomography: Results of a tertiary center

Abstract

The study protocol was approved by the Adiyaman Training and Research Hospital Ethics Committee (2020/9-12). All procedures in this study involving human participants were performed in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments.

Apical fibrosis was the most common incidental pulmonary finding in a familial Mediterranean fever cohort

“…In a study where incidental findings on thorax CT requested for pulmonary thromboembolism were presented, pulmonary nodules and lymphadenopathy were found to be the most common findings [ 36 ]. In another study, which presented incidental pulmonary findings in abdominal CT scans performed for subjects from a similar population as our cohort, atelectatic changes, asbestosis, pleural effusion, and pulmonary nodules were detected [ 28 ]. And, in other studies, pulmonary nodules are the most frequent incidental finding in thorax CT scans [ 37 , 38 ].…”

“…Here, the frequency of spondylitis was similar in patients with and without apical fibrosis. Although we excluded patients with known or active tuberculosis, as Turkey is an endemic country for tuberculosis, tuberculosis may be the likely cause of the high incidence of apical fibrosis in our cohort; however, in a previous study conducted in the Turkish population, apical fibrosis was not found as an incidental thoracic CT finding [ 28 ].…”

“…We also showed that the frequency of SpA, which is one of the etiologies of apical fibrosis and is frequently observed in FMF, is similar in patients with and without apical fibrosis. And, although tuberculosis is endemic in Turkey, apical fibrosis was not found as a common coincidental pulmonary finding in the Turkish population [ 28 ]. Further studies would be worth considering that re-examine our findings and evaluate the possible cause-effect relationship between FMF and apical fibrosis.…”