What is an incidental finding?

• A. Pathology found during an exam unrelated to the reason for the test.
• B. A diagnosis confirmed by biopsy.
• C. A finding that is discovered but treated as the primary disease.
• D. A finding that is always clinically significant.

Answer: (A)

An incidental finding is an unexpected discovery on a test done for a reason other than that finding; it isn’t related to the primary issue being investigated. This matches the idea of pathology found during an exam that was unrelated to why the test was ordered. For example, a CT scan ordered for abdominal pain might unexpectedly reveal a small lung nodule—an incidental finding. The other options describe things tied to the primary problem, or require a biopsy to confirm, or imply the finding is always clinically important, which isn’t the case.