Spotlight falls on MSK and interventional radiology at ECR

Lectures and teaching sessions on intervention, musculoskeletal radiology, and oncologic imaging will form the cornerstone of the scientific program at the European Congress of Radiology, to be held in Vienna from 3 to 7 March.

A total of 4196 abstracts were submitted, of which 1596 were accepted, including 786 scientific papers, 397 scientific exhibits, and 413 educational exhibits. At the 2004 congress, 4151 abstracts were submitted, of which 2010 were accepted.

Among the accepted abstracts for ECR 2006, musculoskeletal radiology tops the list, with 167 papers to be presented, followed by interventional radiology (149), genitourinary (147), abdominal/viscera (128), cardiac (127), GI tract (126), neuroradiology (111), vascular (109), breast (102), and chest (96). Other abstract topics include pediatric (78), head and neck (63), physics (63), computer applications (49), radiographers (29), molecular imaging (27), and contrast media (26).

No fewer than 256 accepted abstracts came from Germany, 210 from Italy, 143 from Japan, 136 from the U.K., 114 from Spain, 97 from South Korea, 70 from the U.S., 65 from France, 64 from Austria, 57 from Greece, 54 from China, and 40 from the Netherlands.

The New Horizons sessions will concentrate on imaging hypoxia, cell-specific MRI of inflammatory disorders, and tumor ablation. State-of-the-art symposia will focus on the myocardium, PET/CT in cancer management, foot and ankle ligaments and tendons, pulmonary nodules, rheumatoid arthritis, CT and MR urography, and the coronary arteries.

The categorical courses will address cancer staging, thermal tumor ablation, and the essentials of neuroradiology. A foundation course on musculoskeletal radiology could also prove popular.

"The musculoskeletal course will feature an all-electronic, self-marking examination that will help those who take part in the course to find out how much they have benefited from it," said ECR president Prof. Andreas Adam. "Another attractive feature of the congress will be the joint EAR/ECR sessions. The aim is to enable discussion of professional issues that affect the lives of all of us."

A radio station and television channel will replace the daily newspaper at this year's event. Info TV will be broadcast on 130 newly installed plasma screens in the Austria Center, where delegates can tune in to live interviews and panel discussions with top presenters.

Details on ECR 2006 are available at http://www.ecr.org. For daily news during the conference, visit the Diagnostic Imaging Webcast at www.diagnosticimaging.com.