It's a jungle out there for radiology -- literally. In a story that could have been ripped from an Indiana Jones movie, a Brazilian expedition is set to depart next week for the darkest reaches of the Amazon rainforest. The intrepid team will use medical imaging technology to find and diagnose diseases that are threatening some of the most remote indigenous peoples on the planet.
The Imagem do Javari Expedition is a two-month journey up the Amazon River that will depart April 5. Aboard the boat is an array of sophisticated imaging equipment, including portable ultrasound units, a mobile x-ray system, computed radiography readers, and PACS software with a satellite uplink to a Brazilian imaging clinic.
Expedition leaders hope to make contact with indigenous tribes in the Vale do Javari region, who are suffering from a wave of diseases brought by the encroachment of Western culture. They believe that medical imaging technology will enable them to improve the health of these tribes, and help prevent the spread of Western diseases to other Amazon tribes that have had little contact with the outside world.
AuntMinnie.com is proud to bring you the story in our Imaging in the Amazon special section. Available at amazon.auntminnie.com, the section includes articles on the expedition participants, a description of the technology being used, and a short history of efforts to protect the people of the Vale do Javari. We'll also be providing progress reports over the course of the eight-week expedition.
So follow the drumbeat, fire up your browser, and head over to Imaging in the Amazon prepared for adventure, radiology-style!
