European Society of Urogenital Radiology
On August 26th, 1990, twelve uroradiologists met in the garden
of Sven Dorph in Copenhagen.
In the mid 1980s, Henrik S. Thomsen recognized the lack of a European uroradiological forum which could provide teaching and allow for presentation of research. In 1987, he organized the “First Copenhagen Symposium on Uroradiology”, to which he invited speakers from Europe and the US, and which was attended by 150 participants. Encouraged by this success, he decided to hold a “Second Copenhagen Symposium” in 1990. Before this meeting, he contacted a number of European uroradiologists, the majority of whom were members of the SUR, the American Society of Uroradiology, and asked them to attend a discussion on the future of European uroradiology before the symposium.
On August 26th, 1990, twelve uroradiologists met in the garden of Sven Dorph in Copenhagen. There was considerable enthusiasm for a European Society of Uroradiology, and the informal meeting turned into the first General Assembly of the ESUR. The twelve who met – Ludovico Dalla Palma (IT), Sven Dorph (DK), Sven-Ola Hietala (SE), Jarl Jakobsen (NO), Leena Kivisaari (FI), Jean-Francois Moreau (FR), Paddy O’Reilly (UK), Raymond Oyen (BE), Lee Talner (US), Henrik S. Thomsen (DK), Paul van Waes (NL), Judith Webb (UK) – were therefore the founding members of the Society. Several have since become HONORARY MEMBERS
ESUR Honorary Members
- Annick Pinet 1992
- Howard Pollack 1992
- Thorsten H.D. Almen 1994
- Alan J. Davidson 1994
- Lee B. Talner 1994
- Ludovico Dalla Palma 1998
- Henrik S. Thomsen 2000
- Judith A.W. Webb 2002
- Rich Cohan 2008
- Ulrich Willi 2012
- Jarl Å. Jakobsen 2018
An ad-hoc board was established, with Ludovico Dalla Palma as President, Henrik S. Thomsen as Secretary-Treasurer and Jean-Francois Moreau, Paul van Waes and Leif Ekelund as the members-at-large. It was decided to rename the 1987 meeting the “First European Symposium on Uroradiology” and the 1990 meeting the “Second European Symposium on Uroradiology”. These decisions were announced to the 200 participants who attended the Symposium in 1990. Between 1990 and 1992 the ad-hoc board drew up the Society bylaws, which were approved at the “Third European Symposium” held in Copenhagen in 1992. Please click here for a complete list of ESUR BOARDS
In recognition of the fact that many members were also involved in the radiology of the male and female genital tracts, the Society changed its name to European Society of Urogenital Radiology (with the same abbreviation ESUR) in 1998. The Society has grown rapidly and now has members and fellows from almost all the European countries and from many nations around the world.
Initially, the ESUR met every second year, alternating with the European Congress of Radiology meetings, but since 2000 the Society has met annually. Meetings have been held in different countries throughout Europe and in the world (see ESUR Meetings > Past Meetings) and have always included a scientific session for members, followed by a postgraduate course and open scientific sessions and exhibits. Abstracts of scientific papers and posters presented at meetings are published in European Radiology or in a syllabus which contains all presentations made at the postgraduate course (SYLLABI). The activities of ESUR are not limited to organizing meetings.
One of the aims of the Society, as stated in the BYLAWS, is to promote research on and to improve knowledge about contrast media. In 1994, the Board of the ESUR established a Contrast Media Safety Committee, chaired by Henrik S. Thomsen and with Sameh Morcos as Secretary. Since then, the Committee has issued a series of GUIDELINES on the safe use of contrast media. The guidelines have been published in peer-reviewed journals, printed in a series of booklets and are posted on the ESUR website.
The ESUR guidelines have been well received by the radiological community. The ESUR home page is visited often, and requests for booklets have been beyond all expectations. In addition, the guidelines have been incorporated in the protocols of many departments all over the world and are also used by the health authorities of many countries as a reference for good radiological practice. Henrik S. Thomsen has edited a book written by members of the Committee which contains the guidelines, an updated review of the literature and chapters on several new topics.
The European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) Contrast Medium Safety Committee (CMSC) was started in 1994, when Jean-Francois Moreau was ESUR President, to look into the problem of contrast medium induced nephropathy (CIN) and held its first meeting in Vienna in 1995.
In 2006 a Committee on Female Imaging has been established with the aim to promote research, disseminate knowledge and create guidelines on imaging of the female pelvis. The first Chairperson of the Committee has been Karen Kinkel from Geneva.
Also in 2006, on the initiative of Michael Riccabona from Graz, a group has been created to supports activities and to produce guidelines on pediatric uroradiology.
In 2008 at the general Assembly at the Munich meeting , The ESUR unanimously agreed to initiate a new ESUR working group on “Prostate cancer” under the chairmanship of Jelle Barentsz.
In 2012 president G. Heinz-Peer and the board decided to open a Testicular working group. The board contacted Jonathan Richenberg and invited him to found such a group and, again, to produce imaging guidelines.
In 2014 the first draft of guidelines on pelvic floor imaging was presented by Rania El Sayed.
(Contrast Media: safety issues and ESUR guidelines. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, 2006).
The Society is an Institutional Member of the European Society of Radiology – ESR. The ESUR Board has worked closely with the Educational Committee of the Society to produce both the curriculum for the program for general radiologic training in Europe and the detailed curriculum for subspecialty training in urogenital radiology. The curricula can be found on the websites of ESUR and of the European Society of Radiology (http://www.myesr.org; Curriculum).
The ESUR has also cooperated with ECR to plan the urogenital part of the program of the European Congress of Radiology. There is an ESUR booth in the main lobby of each ECR congress which acts as a meeting place for members as well as a method to promote meetings and activities of our Society.
The Society has maintained its close links with the American Society of Uroradiology: it has held combined meetings with our American colleagues here in Europe (Zurich 1996, Genoa 2002) as well as in North America (Bonita Springs/Florida, April 2007) and is planning further meetings with them in Europe again. A strategy of cooperation between the two Societies has been recently approved by the two Boards to further strengthen scientific and professional links.
In addition, links have been established to the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), the Japan Radiological Society and the European Association of Urologists (EUROPE MEETS ASIA pictures).
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