Lee Gazourian, MD

In a panel discussion that followed the presentation by Ravi Kalhan, MD, MS, at the Quantitative Imaging Workshop XVIII, Lee Gazourian, MD, of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Massachusetts, emphasized the need for a more centralized approach to the management of incidental findings on chest computed tomography (CT).“There are opportunities to diagnose COPD, interstitial lung disease, and coronary artery disease. Our primary care physicians are overwhelmed and do not have the capacity to address these clinically significant findings, which often are reported on CT scans that the primary care physician did not order and often get lost to follow-up.”

Dr. Gazourian said that Lahey Hospital & Medical Center is actively developing a centralized lung health clinic to address incidental findings on chest CT. A centralized patient navigator will screen for incidental findings such as emphysema, interstitial lung disease, and coronary artery calcification, and identify opportunities for early diagnosis. The lung health team will work with the primary care physicians to improve adherence to proven interventions such as smoking cessation, vaccination, and cardiac risk factor modifications. 

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Gazourian reported no conflicts of interest.