Radiology Misread, Wrongful Death Settlement Is $1 Million
Radiology misread results in delayed diagnosis of advanced cancer of the cecum
2025 Medical Malpractice Lawyer’s Report
By Krysia Syska, Medical Malpractice Attorney for the Plaintiff
Hampshire Superior Court, Northampton, Massachusetts
Case background
In March 2018, Plaintiff’s decedent presented to the emergency room with complaints of severe sudden onset abdominal pain. Part of her work-up included a CT angiogram of her abdomen/pelvis to look for mesenteric ischemia. Imaging was compared to prior abdominal imaging and the defendant attending radiologist and overnight resident reported normal findings which were unchanged when compared to the prior studies. She was discharged with a diagnosis of abdominal pain/irritable bowel syndrome.
Plaintiff’s expert reviewed these same CT angiogram images and reported that there was marked wall thickening of the anterior wall of the cecum that was abnormal and should have been reported so that additional imaging could have been obtained. Had that been done this cancer would have been diagnosed one year earlier.
Plaintiff’s decedent’s complaints did not resolve after her ER visit, but subsequent evaluations diagnosed her with GERD, UTI and chronic abdominal pain based upon the normal imaging report from March.
Diagnosis of of stage IV cancer
In July 2019 she underwent an abdominal CT scan for persistent abdominal pain. This study revealed a mass-like thickening of the cecum along with findings concerning for metastatic spread to the liver. Plaintiff’s expert opined that this mass-like thickening of the cecum was indeed the same finding marked wall thickening from the prior year that had not been reported by the defendants. Further work up led to a diagnosis of Stage IV cancer of the cecum. She passed away in October 2020 leaving a spouse and 2 children.
Lawsuit resolved for $1 million
Trial was scheduled for September 2025 and the matter resolved for $1,000,000 in the weeks prior.
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