2025 Volume 74 Issue 1 Pages 63-71
Practice of nuclear medicine (NM) in Japan started in 1950 when radioisotopes (RIs) were imported from the U.S.A. and Japan Radioisotope Association (JRIA) launched with the purpose for bulk buying and distribution of RIs to each user. The author has experienced the nuclear medicine practices since its dawn to present. The purpose of this historical review is to follow tracks of nuclear cardiology in Japan as seen by the author. The nation-wide survey of nuclear medicine practice in Japan which was conducted by a subcommittee of JRIA tells us numbers of examinations, instruments and radiopharmaceuticals used for cardiac imaging and their temporal changes. The author describes his experiences with cardiac imaging in NM and its chronological changes in accordance with developments of imaging devices and radiopharmaceuticals used. The author believes the new developments in instrumentations and radiopharmaceuticals together with multi-disciplinary cooperation will facilitate nuclear cardiology and contribute to welfare of patients.
