Scans and X-rays
What Does Lesion Mean on a Medical Report?
Lesion · say it: LEE-zhunAlso written: abnormality, area of abnormality
Short answer
A lesion is a general word for any area of tissue that looks different from normal. It can be harmless or need further checking.
What it means
Lesion is a broad, general word. Doctors use it for any spot, patch or area that looks different from the surrounding tissue on a scan, under a microscope or on the skin.
The word itself says nothing about the cause. A lesion might be a scar, a cyst, an area of inflammation, a benign growth, or something that needs more investigation.
Reports often add details such as size, shape, location and how it looks on the scan. Those details help doctors decide whether anything more needs to be done.
Where you may see it
- CT, MRI and ultrasound reports
- Skin examination notes and dermatology letters
- Pathology reports describing tissue samples
📄 How it looks on a report
A 6 mm lesion is noted in the right kidney, likely a simple cyst.
🙅 What it does not mean
- It does not mean cancer. Lesion is a neutral word that covers many harmless things.
- It does not mean something must be removed. Many lesions are simply watched or need no action.
- Its size alone does not tell you whether it is serious. Doctors look at many features together.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Lesion”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Lesion”
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🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Lesion” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “lesion”
- RadiologyInfo.org ↗
Radiological Society of North America and American College of Radiology
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.