OBJECTIVE: To obtain information on diagnostic imaging equipment and radiological examinations in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The overall information was obtained through the Department of Computer Science of SUS - "Sistema Único de Saúde" (National Health System). The distribution of equipments and the annual frequency of examinations were analyzed considering the various health care State regions and their respective population. RESULTS: The results indicated significant regional differences, both regarding equipment distribution and frequency of examinations. Comparison with data available from other countries show that part of the population may require access to other imaging methods, particularly mammography, although access to these services have improved in the last years. CONCLUSION: This type of study show the importance of disclosure of information from the National Health System, which allows systematic and objective analysis of specific health issues, and may be used as a reference for future works.

Keywords: Diagnostic equipment, Medical examination, Radiology information systems, Radiology, SUS