Definition
Unexpected results that are not related to the primary reason for requesting a genomic test.
Use in clinical context
Incidental findings may arise as a result of genomic tests, where a broader range of genomic information is sequenced rather than a more targeted test. Types of incidental findings include variants that are known to cause a predisposition to developing conditions such as cancer, when the reason for requesting the test was to identify the cause of a child’s developmental delay. Or, if multiple family members are being tested, this may also include information about parentage (for example, the reported father or mother is not the patient’s biological parent).
