What it means
In a report, interval means the time between two scans. When older images are available, the radiologist places them side by side with the new ones. They look for anything that has grown, shrunk, appeared or gone away. Interval change describes any such difference. Reports also use more precise forms, such as interval increase, interval decrease or interval resolution, meaning it has cleared.
When it matters
No interval change is usually good news, because many harmless findings stay the same for years. Change is not automatically bad either: some cysts slowly grow, and changes after surgery or treatment are often expected. What matters is how much it changed, how fast, and what the finding is. A finding that is growing usually gets a closer look or another test.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Which older scan was mine compared with, and how long ago was it?
- If something changed, by how much and over what time?
- Is the change expected after my surgery or treatment?
