Historical Review.

In 1972, forty years ago, Division of Radioisotope Utilization separated from Department of Radiology of our Hospital, having grown into independent Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology. According to Professor Šime Spaventi, the first head of the Division of Radioisotope Utilization, then head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology1, from 1963 when the Division was established until 1972, the scope of Division activities and staff members had increased considerably, in line with the development of nuclear medicine and nuclear medicine technology in Croatia and worldwide. Division of Radioisotope Utilization was first located in a separate building on one of our hills (initially it was pediatric department and then urology department). Subsequently, the building was reconstructed and adapted to the new purpose, while radiation protection measures were applied with great caution. Professor Spaventi emphasizes the role of Professor Božo Metzger, chief physician, who introduced the radiation protection measures and modern densitometry methods while still working at Department of Oncology; this department was established in 1954 and was equipped with the first telecobalt unit in former Yugoslavia as early as 1958. In 1977, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology grew into University Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology; the premises have since been continuously renewed and a new building was constructed in 1982, to the current area of 3000 m2. In 1974, computer was first used for diagnostic data processing with Ph camera; in the then Yugoslavia, computer data processing in nuclear medicine was first introduced here. Professor Spaventi underlines the very important collaboration with Ruđer Bošković Institute, Institute for Tumor and Allied Diseases, and other clinical departments on a number of projects that contributed to the rapid and quality development of the Department, then University Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology. Since 1990, it has been headed by academician Zvonko Kusić and consists of seven departments with 148 employees, 27 physicians and 20 physicians, 21 PhDs,