Incidental findings in abdominal ultrasound. Characteristics and clinical interpretation

Abdominal ultrasound is a common diagnostic procedure in internal medicine. The correct interpretation of incidental findings can be difficult at times and often results in expensive and sometimes invasive follow-up examinations. Therefore, detailed knowledge of incidental findings on abdominal ultrasound is of utmost clinical and economical importance. Incidental findings are often benign, however, an accurate evaluation and correct diagnosis is crucial for the subsequent clinical management. To this end B-mode ultrasonography is complemented by color flow Doppler sonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to add dynamic information on blood flow and vessel formation. This article presents frequent incidental findings of the major abdominal organs and vessels, and describes the sonographic and clinical management to find the correct diagnosis.