overdiagnoses

Overdiagnoses is the plural of overdiagnosis—the identification of a condition that would never have caused symptoms or harm if left undetected.

Medical screening sometimes catches abnormalities that appear pathological but would remain harmless: Critics argue that mammography leads to overdiagnoses of slow-growing tumors.

The term also applies when conditions are diagnosed too liberally: ADHD overdiagnoses have sparked debate about medication in children.