Cardiovascular diseases are one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. Nuclear imaging technology plays a central role in the early detection, thereby improving the outcome for patients. Early and precise disease diagnosis results in effective treatment and leads to faster recovery.
The International Conference on Integrated Medical Imaging in Cardiovascular Diseases (IMIC 2013) held at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna provided an interactive exchange and review of the current status and latest developments in integrated cardiovascular medical imaging worldwide.
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International Conference on Integrated Medical Imaging in Cardiovascular Diseases (IMIC 2013)
Presentations
Book of Abstracts
Conference Photos
The conference attracted an international audience of 352 participants from 91 countries and for the first time, the IAEA provided participants continued medical education credits (CME), accredited by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) through the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME).
The IAEA is indebted to the professional organisations including: the American Heart Association, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Asian Regional Cooperative Council for Nuclear Medicine, Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine, European Association of Nuclear Medicine, European Society of Radiology, International Society of Radiology, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Society of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences for their contribution towards the organization of IMIC 2013.
The IMIC programme emphasised the importance of understanding the individual patient imaging pathology and the strategic advantages of patient-tailored diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic decision making.
The appropriate imaging interpretation and application in cardiovascular diseases, particularly the imaging of Coronary Artery Disease, heart failure and hybrid imaging were addressed. In addition, several topics were reviewed including, anatomy, physics and radiochemistry as well as quality, safety and reporting considerations.
Participants provided 163 papers and presented their posters on all aspects of medical imaging as applied to the management of CVDs of which 14 received an award for outstanding achievement.
The objectives achieved at IMIC 2013 were:
- The evaluation of the current status of medical imaging, including SPECT, PET, echocardiography, CT and MRI, in the management of CVDs;
- The reflection on challenges faced in developing countries;
- The delivering of supporting ‘know-how’ via continuing medical education programmes in the field, including information on the relative merits and limitations of each imaging modality;
- The improvement of the performance of clinical practice through ‘read with the experts’ sessions and workshops;
- The interaction with the user groups (nuclear physicians, radiologists, cardiologists, technologists, radiographers, radiopharmacists, radiochemists, medical physicists and other scientists working in all aspects of CVD management) and the provision of state-of-the-art information in the field to the user groups;
- The exchange of information on current advances in the field among leading clinical scientists from developed and developing countries;
- The identification of future challenges and trends, as well as the role of the IAEA and other international organizations in addressing these.