If there is no prior imaging available for comparison, which statement is appropriate to include?

If there is no prior imaging available for comparison, which statement is appropriate to include?

• A. There is no prior imaging available for comparison.
• B. Prior imaging exists and is available for comparison.
• C. There is prior imaging but it is not available for direct comparison.
• D. There is prior imaging available for comparison.

Answer: (A)

Clear communication about whether prior imaging is available for comparison is crucial. If there is no prior study to compare with, the appropriate statement is that there is no prior imaging available for comparison. This accurately signals that you cannot assess interval change and prevents any false impression of a baseline to reference. Saying that prior imaging exists or is available would mislead clinicians into believing a baseline is present. If a prior study did exist but isn’t usable for direct comparison (for instance due to modality differences or access issues), you would note that prior imaging is not available for direct comparison rather than implying a usable baseline exists.

Clear communication about whether prior imaging is available for comparison is crucial. If there is no prior study to compare with, the appropriate statement is that there is no prior imaging available for comparison. This accurately signals that you cannot assess interval change and prevents any false impression of a baseline to reference. Saying that prior imaging exists or is available would mislead clinicians into believing a baseline is present. If a prior study did exist but isn’t usable for direct comparison (for instance due to modality differences or access issues), you would note that prior imaging is not available for direct comparison rather than implying a usable baseline exists.