Nuclear medicine has a major role to play in the diagnosis, follow-up and prognostic assessment of patients with coronary artery disease. It has a supportive role in the investigation of ventricular function and the early detection of regional wall motion abnormalities, and progressively, this activity forms an integral part of the management of patients submitted to treatment regimens which may affect cardiac function.

Radionuclide studies are vital in the management of patients with peripheral vascular disorders like venocaval obstruction, deep vein thrombosis, haemangiomas and vascular trauma.

Nuclear medicine techniques are key players in the management of renovascular hypertension and diagnosis of small vessel disorders affecting the kidneys, heart, and intestinal tract in patients suffering from diabetes, scleroderma and a host of other chronic diseases.

Techniques like radionuclide angiogram, radionuclide ventriculography, myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, myocardial SPECT, gated SPECT studies, blood pool studies, flow venograms, captopril renography, molecular coincident detection and positron emission tomography have been matured over the years and are now being used in routine clinical practice all over the world. Recently, the introduction of intravascular radionuclide therapy following angioplasty to prevent re-stenosis has generated significant interest in the medical community throughout the world.

Hence, cardiovascular nuclear medicine has been established as a major investigative tool world-wide. Its practice however is only beginning to gain ground in developing countries. The establishment and consolidation of cardiovascular nuclear medicine, and nuclear cardiology in particular, has come about from gradual change in entrenched attitudes regarding exercise electrocardiography and coronary angiography as being the only means by which most patients with coronary artery disease should be managed.

2.    OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Symposium are to:

• Evaluate the current status of cardiovascular nuclear medicine globally and in particular in developing countries
• Exchange information on the current advances in the field between scientists from developed and developing countries
• Interact with the user group (clinicians, cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons etc.) and bring them important information in the field
• Discuss the current radiopharmaceuticals and instrumentation being used in the practice of cardiovascular nuclear medicine
• Define future directions and the IAEA’s role in the promotion of cardiovascular nuclear medicine in the developing countries of the world.

Scope and Topics to be Addressed

The Symposium will cover topics and issues on all aspects of cardiovascular nuclear medicine through a number of plenary lectures, proffered papers, poster presentations, panel discussions and interactive audiovisual sessions. The topics to be addressed include the following:

• Clinical overviews on the current trends in the management of coronary artery disease
• Myocardial perfusion studies
• Pharmacological and exercise stress techniques
• Diagnosis of coronary artery disease
• Prognosis in coronary artery disease
• Cardiac bypass graft surgery
• Coronary angioplasty
• Intravascular radionuclide therapy
• Myocardial hybernation
• Myocardial viability
• Radionuclide ventriculography
• Infarct-avid Imaging
• Myocardial SPECT
• Gated SPECT
• Coincident Imaging
• Positron Emission Tomography
• Renovascular hypertension
• Deep vein Thrombosis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Diabetic microangiopathy
• Instrumentation
• Radiopharmaceuticals.

Expected Results:

• Evaluation and assessment of the current status of cardiovascular nuclear medicine globally
• Transfer of important information on the current trends in cardiovascular nuclear medicine from developed to developing countries
• Publication of a technical document based on the proceedings of the Symposium
• Promotion of cardiovascular nuclear medicine globally in general; and in the developing countries in particular
• Formulation of a strategy document for promoting cardiovascular nuclear medicine in developing countries.

3.    PAPERS AND POSTERS

All papers - apart from invited review papers - must present original work; they should not have been published elsewhere.

Deadline for submission
A completed Form for Submission of a Paper (see attached Form “B”), together with the Participation Form (see attached Form “A”) and two copies of an extended synopsis of 800 words (i.e. two A4 format pages of single spaced typing or the equivalent, including any tables or diagrams and a few pertinent references) must be sent (in English) to the competent official authority for transmission to the IAEA by 25 October 2001 (see Section 12 below). In addition, the extended synopsis should be sent electronically to the Scientific Secretary, Mr. A.K. Padhy (e-mail address: a.k.padhy@iaea.org).

The synopsis should give enough information on the contents of the proposed paper to enable the selection committee to evaluate it. Introductory and general matters should not be included. The synopsis - if accepted - will be reproduced in unedited form in the supplementary issue of the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine; therefore, the original must be submitted as camera-ready copy. The general style and presentation should be as in the attached sample.

Paper/poster acceptance
In order to provide ample time for discussion, the number of papers that can be accepted for oral presentation is limited. If the number of relevant and high quality papers submitted for selection exceeds the acceptable number, some of them will be selected for poster presentation.

Authors will be informed whether their papers/posters have been accepted for presentation on the basis of the extended synopsis. The IAEA, however, reserves the right to refuse the presentation or publication of any paper that does not meet the expectations based on the information given in the extended synopsis.

Further details concerning the written and oral presentation at the meeting will be sent to all authors in due course.

4.   PARTICIPATION

All persons wishing to participate in the meeting are requested to complete a Participation Form (Form "A") and send it as soon as possible to the competent official authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs or national atomic energy authority) for subsequent transmission to the IAEA. A participant will be accepted only if the Participation Form is transmitted through the competent official authority of a Member State of the International Atomic Energy Agency or by an organization invited to participate.

Participants whose designations have been received by the IAEA will be notified directly two to three months before the meeting.

5.   EXPENDITURES

No registration fee is charged to participants.

As a general rule, the IAEA does not pay the cost of attendance, i.e. travel and living expenses, of participants. However, limited funds are available to help meet the cost of attendance of qualified selected specialists mainly from Member States eligible to receive technical assistance under the IAEA’s Technical Co-operation Programme. Generally, not more than one grant will be awarded to any one country.

If governments wish to apply for a grant on behalf of one of their specialists, they should address specific requests to the International Atomic Energy Agency to this effect. Governments should ensure that applications for grants:

(a)   be submitted by 25 October 2001;
(b)   be accompanied by a duly completed and signed Grant Application Form
        (see attached Form “C”).

Applications which do not comply with the conditions mentioned under (a) and (b) cannot be considered.

The grants awarded will be in the form of lump sums usually covering only part of the cost of attendance.

6.   PROCEEDINGS

The proceedings of the meeting will be published by the IAEA in camera-ready (unedited) form as a Technical Document as soon as possible after the meeting. All participants will receive a free copy of the proceedings.

7.   WORKING LANGUAGE

The working language of the meeting will be English. All communications, synopses, abstracts and papers must be sent to the Agency in English.

8.   DOCUMENTS

Information as available will be placed on the IAEA website:
http://www.iaea.org/worldatom/Meetings/.

A preliminary programme of the Symposium will be sent to participants before the meeting. The final programme, and the supplementary issue of the World Journal of Nuclear Medicine will be distributed on registration.

9.   ACCOMMODATION

Detailed information on accommodation and other items will be sent to all designated participants well in advance of the meeting.

10.   VISA

Participants who require a visa to enter China should submit the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular representative of China as soon as possible.

11.   SECRETARIAT

The address of the Secretariat is:

International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria

Telephone No.: +43-1-2600(0) plus extension
Telex No.: +43-1-12645
Telefax No.: +43-1-26007
Electronic mail: official.mail@iaea.org

The Scientific Secretary of the Symposium is Mr. A.K. Padhy, Head, Nuclear Medicine Section, Division of Human Health, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, (telephone extension 21670; e-mail address:a.k.padhy@iaea.org). Conference organization is provided by Ms. K. Morrison, Conference Service Section, Division of Conference and Document Services (telephone extensions: 21317 or 21311; e-mail address: K.Morrison@iaea.org.

12.   CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

The Participation Form and if applicable the Forms for Submission of a Paper and Grant Application should be sent to the competent official authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, national atomic energy authority) for transmission to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Subsequent correspondence on scientific matters should be sent to the Scientific Secretary and correspondence on administrative matters to the IAEA Conference Service Section.