isrrt Newsletter Volume 45. No.2 - 2009

Repoere Report
return of diseases that had previously eliminated and
emerging diseases such as the Avian Flu, A - H1N1 Flu
among others. He challenges professionals from Africa
to propagate homegrown solutions in conjunction with
other international bodies to curb such trends. He pledged
to continue investing in new technologies that would be
beneficial to the health of the nation.
Later on Dr Paul L. Allan made a presentation on
Ultrasound in Oncology, where extolled the virtues of
ultrasound as not only being non-ionising but may be used
in diagnosis, staging, disease burdening monitoring during
treatment and post-treatment assessment of disease to
determine response. Other uses would be in intraoperative
radiotherapy in liver or brain, endoluminal applications
such as in biopsy.
The session that followed the opening ceremony
was on radiation oncology and neuroradiology with
presenters dwelling on the merits and challenges related
to, the relationship between treatment time and dose rate
in brachytherapy; microwave ablation, SPECT and PET in
cancer management; CT evaluation in intracranial SOLs;
and tumour volume definition using carbon nanotube
coupled superparamagnetic contrasts.
Day 3
The sessions were moved to the magnificent International
Conference Centre. Apart from some light humour where a
professor publicly admonished her former student for a her
presentation that was seen as conclusive without adhering
to set out research tenets, the first half on the morning was
dedicated to ultrasound with one presentation turning on
the multidisciplinary breast tumour board approach taken
by the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital. It is has
been demonstrated that despite not being a conclusive
stand-alone modality in diagnosis, ultrasound plays a very
vital role in medical imaging and even in some cases of
Jenny Motto, left, ISRRT Reg. Co-ordinator Education,
Africa, with Prof S.B. Elegba, Director General Nigeria
Nucler Regulator.
intervention.
This crowned by Prof. Michael G. Kawooya’s
presentation on Ultrasound in Paediatric Alimentary Canal;
the merits and justifications were enumerated and case
study examples provided to support. The challenges are
similar to those that are encountered during anytime when a
health practitioner has to undertake paediatric work.
During the mid-morning the sessions was a hotchpotch of
sorts with presentations despite the session being dedicated
to musculoskeletal, chest and digestive system imaging.
There were presentations and demonstration in evaluation
of lumbago using MRI and CT evaluation in obstructive
jaundice.
The afternoon session was dedicated to CT angiography;
this was fascinating to participants as Dr Christoph Herborn
delved it a subject he well conversant with. At the end, it
was concluded that the technology within the continent
can be utilised to achieve many of the examinations if the
existing applications and protocols are upgraded
without necessarily purchase of new and expensive
equipment; this was an eye-opener.
PACORI 2009 Gala Dinner Awardees. L-R: Mrs Modupe Oke,
Mr E.P. Akpan, Mrs C. Ademokun.
Association of Radiographers, Nigeria
(ARN) Annual General Meeting (AGM)
After tea, the various organisations and associations
retreated to their professional cocoons to hold
their annual general meetings; I was privileged
together with other visiting colleagues from Africa
viz. Jenny Motto, ISRRT Regional Coordinator
Education, Stephen Bule, ISRRT Council Uganda,
Patrick Mpiima, Chairman Uganda Radiographers
Registration Board and Kitho Kamati-Chinkoti
from Namibia, to attend the Association of
Radiographers, Nigeria (ARN) AGM. Under the
leadership of President Ayo Okhiria, I was able
to discern that a lot of strides had been made.
Continued on following page
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