A radiologist in Ocala, FL, will pay $14,000 in fines following allegations that he missed a mass and signs of diffuse brain swelling on a patient’s CT scan.
John Scales, MD, of Radiology Associates of Ocala, agreed to a settlement with the Florida Board of Medicine on May 6 to pay a $5,000 fine and reimbursement of investigative and prosecution costs totaling $9,015.31, according to a May 14 report by the Ocala-News.
The case dates back to July 24, 2019, when a 24-year-old male patient visited AdventHealth Ocala with complaints of a headache for eight days and nausea. A CT scan was performed. According to an administrative complaint filed on May 9, 2025 by the Florida Department of Health, despite abnormalities such as dilated temporal horns, a mass in the pineal region, and diffuse brain swelling on the CT scan, Scales allegedly reported that there were no acute intracranial findings, the news outlet reported.
As part of the settlement, Scales neither admits nor denies the allegations, but agrees to the penalties imposed by the medical board, the report said.
