Figura 1: Paulo Donato 

The transversality of our specialization makes it sufficiently comprehensive so that it is impossible for knowledge to have the same degree of depth as each specialist in each medical field. In practice, there are specialists in Radiology who are more dedicated to a particular topic. There are those who develop their activity exclusively in one of the major areas of Radiology: Senology, Pediatric Radiology, Musculoskeletal, Gastrointestinal, Hepato-Biliary, Thoracic, Cardio-Vascular, Genito-Urinary, Neuroradiology or Interventional Radiology. There are certainly those who continue to develop activity in more than a single area and certainly within these areas there are also those who specialize in a particular theme or technique.

The richness of such a vast specialty is precisely the multidisciplinarity with the common link of “the use of technology to diagnose and treat the disease”. Nevertheless, fragmentation was inevitable. Fragmentation that started in the 90’s with the creation of the Neuroradiology specialty. The claim for more specific learning with a more dedicated learning time so that there is a greater and better response in approaching patients through Interventional Radiology

methods seems to be consensual. Other areas will have a need for subspecialization where adaptation of regulations and of training capacity are necessary, without neglecting training in other areas of “General” Radiology.

In this edition of the Acta Radiológica Portuguesa, the theme of subspecialization in Radiology is addressed through an “Opinion Article” of the responsibility of distinguished Interventional Radiologists in the country and the disclosed perspective of our College’s President. The respective readings give us the guarantee of the interest and greatness with which the topic is discussed and evaluated.

I think it is time to join forces and make more solid what unites the different parts of the specialty, giving the possibility of an ever more in-depth knowledge in each area and which in the case of Interventional Radiology requires an increasingly higher level of learning.(Fig. 1)