• Doctorate of Medicine (DM)
• fellowship
• postgraduate residents
• questionnaire-based study
• radiology
• senior residency

• project report
• quality assurance
• sub-specialization
• subspecialization
• teleradiology

Radiology subspecialisation is well-established in much of Europe, North America, and Australasia. It is a natural evolution of the radiology speciality catalysed by multiple factors.

The aim of this article is to analyse and provide an overview of the current status of radiology subspecialisation in African countries.

We reviewed English-language articles, reports, and other documents on radiology specialisation and subspecialisation in Africa.

There are 54 sovereign countries in Africa (discounting disputed territories). Eighteen African countries with well-established radiology residency training were assessed for the availability of formal subspecialisation training locally. Eight (Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Tunisia) out of the 18 countries have local subspecialist training programmes. Data and/or information on subspecialisation were unavailable for three (Algeria, Libya, and Senegal) of the 18 countries. Paediatric Radiology (Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia) and Interventional Radiology (Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania) were the most frequently available subspecialist training programmes. Except Tanzania, all the countries with subspecialisation training programmes have ≥ 100 radiologists in their workforce.

There is limited availability of subspecialist radiology training programmes in African countries. Alternative models of subspecialist radiology training are suggested to address this deficit.

• Africa
• curriculum
• education
• radiology
• specialist training
• subspecialisation
• web-based learning

• Analytics
• Artificial intelligence
• Curriculum development
• Education
• Learning management system
• Process
• Radiology

Indian radiology trainees and radiologists are interested to have FRCR (Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists) qualification for various reasons including academic career progression, subspecialty interest and other socioeconomic factors. The path for acquiring FRCR qualification is adventurous yet onerous and exhausting. Perseverance, meticulous planning and clarity in the vision are essential prerequisites for an Indian graduate aiming to complete FRCR qualification, and one may require to invest an average of 1.5–2 years even if there is no reattempt in this tripartite examination. Indian doctors including radiologists are considered amongst the finest across global medical fraternities. However, the Indian medical education is skewed and variably distributed over the subcontinent due to organisational inability to provide single radiology curriculum-based education to all radiology training programmes. Parallel educational boards and a variety of institutions such as government, trust-funded and private organisations provide radiology training to further complicate the grand picture of radiology education in India. Conversely, UK radiology education is uniform nationally and rigorously enforced by deaneries based upon state-provided guidelines. UK training opportunities are essentially academically rewarding experience but they require herculean efforts to gain access to one. One should constantly focus on building a resume at par with that of a UK trainee by obtaining experience required to fulfil checklist for such opportunities. Alongwith addressing local (UK) competition thoughtfully, hard work, diligence, and high standards of work ethics are absolute musts to build a great resume, to obtain training opportunity and, in turn, to satisfy the ultimate goal of carrier advancement.

• Challenges
• Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists
• India
• UK
• UK fellowships

Classic “do not touch” and benign osseous lesions are sometimes detected on ¹⁸-F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) studies. These lesions are often referred for biopsy because the physician interpreting the PET/CT may not be familiar with the spectrum of ¹⁸F-FDG uptake patterns that these lesions display.

To show that “do not touch” and benign osseous lesions can have increased ¹⁸F-FDG uptake above blood-pool on PET/CT; therefore, the CT appearance of these lesions should dictate management rather than the standardized uptake values (SUV).

This retrospective study evaluated 287 independent patients with 287 classic “do not touch” (benign cystic lesions, insufficiency fractures, bone islands, bone infarcts) or benign osseous lesions (hemangiomas, enchondromas, osteochondromas, fibrous dysplasia, Paget’s disease, osteomyelitis) who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) at a tertiary academic healthcare institution between 01/01/2006 and 12/1/2018. The maximum and mean SUV, and the ratio of the maximum SUV to mean blood pool were calculated. Pearson’s correlations between lesion size and maximum SUV were calculated.

The ranges of the maximum SUV were as follows: For hemangiomas (0.95-2.99), bone infarcts (0.37-3.44), bone islands (0.26-3.29), enchondromas (0.46-2.69), fibrous dysplasia (0.78-18.63), osteochondromas (1.11-2.56), Paget’s disease of bone (0.93-5.65), insufficiency fractures (1.06-12.97) and for osteomyelitis (2.57-12.64). The range of the maximum SUV was lowest for osteochondromas (maximum SUV 2.56) and was highest for fibrous dysplasia (maximum SUV of 18.63). There was at least one lesion that demonstrated greater ¹⁸F-FDG avidity than the blood pool amongst each lesion type, with the highest maximum SUV ranging from 9.34 times blood pool mean (osteomyelitis) to 1.42 times blood pool mean (hemangiomas). There was no correlation between the maximum SUV and the lesion size except for enchondromas. Larger enchondromas had higher maximum SUV (r = 0.36, P = 0.02).

The classic “do not touch” lesions and classic benign lesions can be ¹⁸F-FDG avid. The CT appearance of these lesions should dictate clinical management rather than the maximum SUV.

• Positron emission tomography/computed tomography
• Skeletal-axial
• Skeletal-appendicular
• “Do not touch” lesions