Editorial

The European Course of Neuroradiology (ECNR) Goes Diagnostic and Interventional

The European Course of Neuroradiology (ECNR) has been founded in 1983 under the aegis of the European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR) that has been created in 1969. Besides the major aim of educating young doctors to become neuroradiologists, this course was also necessary to adhere as much as possible to the European regulations for academic education programs with the precise aim of being recognized as a (sub)speciality within the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). It was meant to be a dynamic initiative to the existing European Course of Neurosurgery (ECNS) thus creating a true European neuroradiologic profile.

During the past years, our speciality has undergone many changes, the most obvious of which being that neuroradiology is nowadays widely accepted as both a diagnostic and interventional speciality. Guidelines for training and practice were established, they were specifically targeted upon the above-mentioned dual aspects of neuroradiology.

Since March 2008 our goal of becoming a subsection within the UEMS has been reached which further stresses the necessity of providing a European Course of Neuroradiology that adheres more obviously to our training guidelines which are both diagnostic and interventional. Under the directorate of Professor Radü from Basel who organized the 8th and 9th cycle of the ECNR with a huge success in Basel during the past 4 years, the first steps toward the dual aspect of the ECNR had been undertaken. With the 10th cycle we want to continue on this path and even further stress our “interventional” educational mission with the ECNR being the course of the European Society for both diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology.

The scientific content of the 10th cycle will provide unique material and will take into very close account the standards and guidelines for residency training in clinical neuroradiology (diagnostic and interventional) included in the European Charter on Training of Medical Specialists in the European Union (EU), a document needed by the European Commission with the principal aim of standardizing training programs in the countries of the EU and associated member states. Different from usual “Refresher Courses”, the 10th cycle is mainly directed toward in-training or established neuroradiologists and has the following main scientific objectives and characteristics:

1. impart teaching-based lectures and workshops, rather than academic-type conferences, in order to transmit rather than deliver information;
2. provide the students with scientific and conceptual lectures, which they are unlikely to get in their own countries, in general radiology courses or in textbooks;
3. acquire basic neuroscience and clinical core knowledge;
4. provide theoretical bases of present and future clinical practices and research in diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology;
5. impart highly interactive diagnostic, interventional and mixed-type neuroradiological workshops.

The interventional topics are chosen in close collaboration with the World Federation of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (WFITN) to assure the highest academic standards and to adhere to the training path of interventional neuroradiology that consists of basic and theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and skill training. All topics are discussed by the board of the ECNR which consists of the course directors, the European Board of Neuroradiology (EBNR) and ten established diagnostic and interventional neuroradiologists from Europe. Because of the broad coverage of interventional and diagnostic neuroradiology, the 10th cycle has also been approved by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) as being a modular part of the European School of Radiology (ESOR) which further underlines its role as the ECNR.

The following topics have been chosen for each one of the four courses, which will be covered in 6 full days of lectures and work shops:

• Embryology/Anatomy/Malformations/Genetics (Tarragona, Spain, October 2008);
• Tumors (Rome, Italy, March 2009);
• Vascular Diseases (Tarragona, Spain, October 2009)
• Trauma/Degenerative/Metabolic/Inflammatory Diseases (Rome, Italy, March 2010)

The didactic credits provided for the course are intended to comply with the regulations of academic education programs. The cycles are structured in four modules held over 2 years. At the end of each module a certificate reporting CME credits is issued after completing a written test. Upon completion of all four modules (one entire cycle) the participant can apply to hold a final oral examination. If he/she passes, a certification as qualified neuroradiologist (European Qualification in Neuroradiology [EQNR]) will be issued jointly by ESNR and EBNR. This EQNR is part of the European Qualification, as required by the UEMS for specialities.

Massimo Gallucci, L’Aquila,
Alex Rovira, Barcelona,
ECNR Course Directors for the ESNR,

Pierre Lasjaunias, Paris,
President of the EBNR,

Timo Krings, Aachen,
Vice-President of the EBNR