Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings

Burcu Yağmur; Hatice Kemal

Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings

Abstract

Aims: Incidental extracardiac findings (IECF) are regularly observed during routine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) examinations; nevertheless, their precise epidemiology and real-world clinical implications require further characterization. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, regional distribution, and clinical significance of IECF using a structured reporting approach. Methods: A total of 597 consecutive patients undergoing CMR between 2021 and 2025 at a tertiary academic center were analyzed retrospectively. Patient demographics, primary CMR indications, and detected extracardiac lesions were documented. Utilizing a two-reader consensus, each IECF was categorized by anatomical site and risk-stratified into three distinct tiers: benign, potentially clinically significant, or clinically significant. Results: Extracardiac abnormalities were detected in 204 patients (34.2%). Categorization yielded 98 (16.4%) benign, 87 (14.6%) potentially significant, and 19 (3.2%) clinically significant findings. Overall, 106 patients (17.8%) met the combined actionable threshold (potentially or clinically significant), leading to downstream diagnostic or therapeutic evaluations in 61 cases (10.2% of the total cohort). The liver/biliary system (n=57, 9.5%) and lungs/pleura (n=42, 7%) represented the most frequent anatomical sites. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that advancing age (OR 1.29 per decade, 95% CI 1.13-1.48, p<0.001) and referral indications other than cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, or ischemia (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.33-3.64, p=0.002) were independent predictors of actionable findings, whereas gender showed no association. Conclusion: Extracardiac lesions are prevalent in routine CMR practice, with approximately one in six patients harboring an actionable finding. Implementing systematic extracardiac evaluation alongside a tiered risk-stratification model enhances clinical utility and optimizes patient management.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethics Committee Approval: This study was reviewed and approved by the Near East University Institutional Ethics Committee (Approval/Decision No: YDU/2026/145-2132, Date: June 18, 2026) Compliance with Ethical Standards: All procedures performed in this study involving human data were in strict accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed Consent: Due to the observational, non-interventional, and retrospective design of the study utilizing anonymized clinical data, the requirement for written informed consent was explicitly waived by the Near East University Institutional Ethics Committee

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Cardiology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Burcu Yağmur ^*
0000-0002-7120-4698
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

Hatice Kemal
0000-0002-9616-3386
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

Publication Date

October 25, 2026

Submission Date

July 26, 2026

Acceptance Date

September 2, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 8 Number: 6

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Yağmur, B., & Kemal, H. (2026). Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, 8(6), 1229-1235. https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH

AMA

1.Yağmur B, Kemal H. Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. 2026;8(6):1229-1235. https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH

Chicago

Yağmur, Burcu, and Hatice Kemal. 2026. “Beyond the Heart in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Incidental Extracardiac Findings”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8 (6): 1229-35. https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH.

EndNote

Yağmur B, Kemal H (October 1, 2026) Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8 6 1229–1235.

IEEE

[1]B. Yağmur and H. Kemal, “Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings”, Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 1229–1235, Oct. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH

ISNAD

Yağmur, Burcu - Kemal, Hatice. “Beyond the Heart in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Incidental Extracardiac Findings”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8/6 (October 1, 2026): 1229-1235. https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH.

JAMA

1.Yağmur B, Kemal H. Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. 2026;8:1229–1235.

MLA

Yağmur, Burcu, and Hatice Kemal. “Beyond the Heart in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Incidental Extracardiac Findings”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, vol. 8, no. 6, Oct. 2026, pp. 1229-35, https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH.

Vancouver

1.Burcu Yağmur, Hatice Kemal. Beyond the heart in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj [Internet]. 2026 Oct. 1;8(6):1229-35. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA59NR37HH