Resource Library

Incidental findings of lung nodules are common and frequently missed. Many of these missed nodules are clinically irrelevant.¹ However, when a patient who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer discovers there was an unreported incidental finding during a period when the lung cancer was treatable, a negligence claim is likely. Consider how improved communication could have affected the outcome of the following radiology case study.

Misdiagnosed breast cancer is one of the most common claims against radiologists.¹ Although much of the onus for ensuring that follow-up occurs is on the referring physician, all providers involved in the patient’s care should establish and then follow policies on communication of radiologic diagnosis and testing. Had communication roles been clear, this patient’s breast cancer could have been discovered earlier and a lawsuit could have been averted.

The main cause of false negatives on mammograms is high breast density, which can make breast lesions more difficult to identify.¹ This is a major concern because almost half of the women screened for breast cancer are classified as having either heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breast tissue.² The American College of Radiology (ACR) recommends several breast density resources on its website.

Every year, NORCAL companies risk management specialists receive numerous telephone calls about terminating patient relationships. This case study describes a typical scenario.

Lipodissolve (also referred to as injection lipolysis, mesotherapy, lipolysis, lipostabil and other terms) is not FDA approved. Informed consent is particularly important when using any type of cosmetic technology that is not FDA-approved or has not been generally accepted by the plastic surgery and dermatology communities and professional associations.