Non-specific
Dr Daniel J Bell ◉ et al.
Non-specific is a widely-used term in radiology, and clinical medicine in general.
Non-specific is used for a symptom, sign, test result, radiological finding, etc., that does not point towards a specific diagnosis or etiology. For example, a high T2 signal lesion of the white matter on an MRI brain is a non-specific finding as the number of possible causes is broad.
Nevertheless, as was pointed out in a recent article, stating that a radiological finding is non-specific does not remove the responsibility of the reporting radiologist to suggest differential diagnoses, or further appropriate management 1.
Related Radiopaedia articles
Terms used in radiology
- general
- agenesis
- aplasia
- artifact
- atresia
- atrophy
- cyst
- dehiscence
- diathesis
- diverticulum
- dyscrasia
- exophytic
- fistula
- fluid collection
- forme fruste
- gamut
- geographic
- gold standard
- hernia
- heterogeneous vs heterogenous
- hyperplasia
- hypertrophy
- hypoplasia
- iatrogenic
- idiopathic
- incidentaloma
- in extremis
- lamellated
- laminated
- natural history
- non-specific
- phlegmon
- prodrome
- protean
- self-limiting
- septum
- sequela
- serpiginous
- sine qua non
- subclinical disease
- syndrome
- synechia
- trabecula
- genetics
- CNS
- chest
- GI
- infection
- MSK
- oncology
- metachronous
- synchronous
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