TITLE:
Empowering Minimally Invasive Care: Training, Equipment, and Practice of Interventional Radiology in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Guegang Goujou Emillienne, Guea Ngbwa Ghislain, Hamidou Alioum, Gonsu Fotsin Joseph
KEYWORDS:
Interventional Radiology, Advanced Imaging Equipment, Continuing Education, Developing Countries
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Radiology,
Vol.15 No.3,
August
18,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Interventional radiology (IR) has revolutionized patient care worldwide, yet its adoption and practice in sub-Saharan Africa remain inadequately characterized. Cameroon, with its growing radiology workforce, offers a unique opportunity to evaluate IR capacity, practitioner engagement, and predictors of procedural implementation. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of radiologists and senior radiology residents in Cameroon between. Eligible participants included radiologists and fourth-year residents across all major referral hospitals. Data collected encompassed demographic characteristics, IR training and qualifications, years of IR experience, availability of imaging modalities and IR suites, types and frequencies of IR procedures performed, and continuing education participation. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 23. Results: Seventy practitioners (61 radiologists, 9 senior residents; 39 males, 31 females) with a mean age of 38.2 (SD 5.0) years participated. None held a formal IR degree, and 61.4% reported ≤5 years of IR experience. Ultrasound was the most widely available modality (95.7%), while only seven practitioners (10.0%) had access to a dedicated IR suite. Overall, 39 participants (55.7%) performed IR procedures; however, all were classified as simple per Société Française de Radiologie criteria, and none performed vascular interventions. The most frequently performed procedures were exploratory puncture (87.2%) and collection evacuation (79.5%). In multivariable analysis, engagement in continuing IR education (p = 0.048) was the sole predicting factor and availability of advanced imaging equipment (p = 0.051) presented a borderline level of significance. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that while basic IR services are being adopted in Cameroon, significant gaps persist in advanced training, infrastructure, and procedural scope. Expansion of formal IR training programs and investment in dedicated IR suites and advanced imaging modalities are imperative to broaden the spectrum of minimally invasive treatments and improve patient outcomes. These insights should inform national health policy and international collaborative efforts to strengthen IR capacity in resource-limited settings.