Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become the main cause of death in Latin America as a consequence of the demographic, economic and social changes experienced by the region. In the last decade, there have been important improvements in nuclear cardiology (NC) practice, but there is still great heterogeneity among countries regarding availability of technology, education, and human resources. The total number of gamma cameras in the region is above 1,300, with an average of about 2.3 per million inhabitants. Nearly all cameras have SPECT capabilities, almost 10% with hybrid technology (SPECT/CT). PET technology is steadily increasing, but perfusion agents are not available at most sites. Training and education are probably the most important challenges for the development of NC practice in the region; formal programs for physicians and technologists only exist in some countries, with different curricular approaches. Distance training and other educational tools have been successfully used and are expected to expand. The future of NC in Latin America is encouraging, with wide clinical utilization and showing potential for growth as a cost-effective diagnostic method. Education of referring physicians and training in other imaging techniques will become increasingly important for nuclear cardiologists, since a multimodality approach in cardiac imaging would contribute to a better management of patients with CVD. It also seems necessary to increase the number of indexed publications in NC and to improve the quality of regional journals. National, regional, and international collaborative networks are key factors for the development of the specialty in the region.
