Impact of European societies on nuclear medicine

The development of nuclear medicine in Europe began in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The supply of radionuclides was initially restricted, but slowly a number of hospital departments and universities gained access to these materials. From the beginning there was a strong international presence, and communication among scientists and doctors flourished rapidly. The need for national and later international nuclear medicine gatherings became apparent, and there soon emerged a number of prominent organizations. This article describes some of the historic developments that led to the formation of a single European Association of Nuclear Medicine-the EANM.