Yes, doctors and radiologists can miss tumors on an MRI due to factors like tumor size (especially tiny ones), location, subtle appearance, motion during the scan, or human perceptual/interpretive errors, though it's relatively uncommon for a tumor to be entirely missed if other tests align. MRIs are highly effective but not perfect, so doctors often combine them with other tests like CTs, biopsies, or bloodwork for a comprehensive diagnosis, and may order follow-up imaging if symptoms persist despite a clear scan.
While rare, certain small tumors or those located in hard-to-scan areas may be missed. If symptoms persist and your MRI is clear, your care team may recommend additional testing or follow-up imaging.
“Radiology practices often put pressure on radiologists to interpret a lot of scans in a short amount of time. This expectation for speed can lead to serious errors – even when a subspecialist is reading your scans. All it takes is one tiny area of a scan skimmed over too quickly and something can be missed.
MRI shows nothing in many cases because certain injuries and conditions don't appear clearly on scans. Micro-tears in muscles or tendons can be too small for standard MRI sequences to detect. Early-stage inflammation hasn't caused enough tissue changes to show up on imaging yet.
An MRI can show if there's a tumor and give clues about whether it's benign or malignant. Radiologists, the doctors who read these scans, look for certain signs.
MRI exams—as well as all radiology exams—can be misinterpreted by the radiologist for a variety of reasons. A false negative diagnosis can lead the referring doctor and their patient down the incorrect path and delay critical treatment.
Common Brain MRI Misdiagnoses
Ghosting is a multidimensional artifact that occurs in the MRI in the phase-encoded direction (short axis of the image) after applying the Fourier transform. When the phase of the magnetic resonance signal is being encoded into the 2D or 3D Fourier image, a mild deviation from the actual phase and amplitude may occur.
Research shows that only 5-10% of low back pain is traceable to a specific underlying cause. This means that, in up to 95% of cases, an MRI scan wouldn't show a specific injury-causing low back pain or be inconclusive.
Tests used to diagnose MS may include: MRI, which can reveal areas of MS on the brain and spinal cord. These areas are called lesions. A contrast dye may be given through an IV to highlight lesions that show the disease is in an active phase.
Misdiagnoses in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can never be completely ruled out. According to a study by the Radiological Society of North America, diagnostic errors in imaging procedures like MRI, CT, or X-rays occur in about 3-5% of cases worldwide.
However, like all medical tests, MRI reports are not flawless. In fact, errors in radiology reports, especially MRIs, are more common than many patients realize. Understanding the frequency and nature of these errors will have most patients wanting a second look at their imaging exams.
HOW OFTEN DO RADIOLOGISTS MAKE MISTAKES? Radiology delivers enormous value; however, no specialty reads images perfectly. Peer-reviewed research in the American Journal of Roentgenology estimates that radiologists make interpretive errors in roughly 4% of everyday reads in clinical practice.
Doctors can't always tell if a tumor is cancerous just by looking. Some tumors might look suspicious, but a biopsy is needed for sure.
MRI scans are particularly good for:
Here are some examples of urgent MRI findings: Problems in the brain, such as bleeding, evidence of a stroke or an aneurysm, or brain damage. Tumours, including cancerous tumours. Spinal problems, such as injury or disease.
High signal intensity is often white on an MRI image. As with decreased intensities, indications vary based on imaging techniques and the areas of the body being scanned. For example, on T1-weighted scans, tissues with fat, areas of increased blood flow and inflammation or tumors can show up brighter on the MRI.
“People who have a tendency to micro-ghost may be so busy with their day that they see your messages or missed calls, process the information but fail to respond in a timely fashion and during the course of their busyness, they forget to reply.
This situation can occur for several reasons, which do not necessarily indicate the absence of injury but rather the limitations or specific circumstances of the imaging process. Soft Tissue Injuries: MRI scans may not always detect minor soft tissue damage, which can still cause significant pain and discomfort.
Misread CT scans and MRIs can result in significant abnormalities being missed, downplayed, or misinterpreted, delaying life-saving treatments or leading to improper medical interventions, and doctors who make such careless mistakes should be held accountable.
An MRI can detect early signs of inflammation in the tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues surrounding your joints. Inflammation will appear swollen, thickened and grey compared to healthier, darker tissues.
“While it's very, very rare for the initial MRI to show no lesions in someone with MS, it's common for people to develop more and more lesions on subsequent MRIs,” notes Dr. Beaber. There may be additional small lesions that are not picked up on MRI. “We can't see everything,” says Dr.
The demand for their expertise, combined with their limited availability, may result in a backlog of cases awaiting review. In such situations, patients may experience delays in receiving their MRI reports as they are prioritized based on the urgency and complexity of their condition.
The error: Ordering a dedicated MRI of the wrong region, a study that fails to provide an adequate view of the portion of the brain where the lesion is located. Dedicated studies may find small lesions, but they miss even large lesions that are excluded from the smaller field of view.