The Need for a Practical Reporting Framework for Pelvic Venous Findings on Imaging

Variable interpretation of venous findings on imaging can contribute to referrer and patient confusion. Pelvic venous findings, specifically, are commonly encountered in asymptomatic patients. Diagnoses based on such imaging findings alone (e.g., diagnoses of nutcracker syndrome, May-Thurner syndrome, or pelvic congestion syndrome based on anatomic findings) can result in unnecessary testing and intervention. A shift away from imaging-based diagnoses and syndromic labels to a descriptive reporting framework may reduce this unnecessary care and improve communication.