Report on the 1st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop at ECCO'19

The 1^st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop represented a merger between the ECCO Endoscopy Workshop and the ECCO-ESGAR Ultrasound-MRI Workshop. The Endoscopy portion reached its 4^th edition in 2019, and it has now become a mainstay of the educational activities of ECCO. Organised by the Educational Committee (EduCom), it was devoted to and structured for IBD specialists with some experience in endoscopy. The content of the course was changed this year: it was highly interactive, with an expert panel discussion, and the main focus was high-quality endoscopy videos and images simulating a live endoscopy case scenario. The major aim of the Endoscopy portion of the Workshop was to increase the competence, knowledge and confidence of participants with regard to the use of endoscopy in IBD and thereby improve patient management and outcomes.

1st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop 2019 © ECCO

The course comprised two sessions that included state of the art lectures. The main learning objectives were to equip participants with an understanding of how to assess inflammation through the endoscopic scoring systems, how to write an endoscopic report, how to perform surveillance, how to detect and characterise colonic lesions in IBD and how to assess small bowel Crohn’s Disease.

The introductory lectures presented the state of the art in the field and covered the most important clinical and endoscopic aspects of each topic; these were followed by video cases that included demonstrations of the latest advanced endoscopic technologies. The audience engaged with specific questions posed by the experts in endoscopy. Participants could review all the cases, the endoscopic images and the endoscopic scoring systems by themselves using iPads, and guided by the speakers and chairs. All this was made possible thanks to the unconditional generosity of Pentax Europe. 

As in previous years, there was very high interest in the course, and also to some extent high expectations of it. Although a maximum of 50 participants was initially foreseen, the course was overbooked several months in advance, with a long waiting list. Therefore it was extended and increased to allow a total of 60 participants.

1st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop 2019 © ECCO

The course was considered interesting and informative by attendees, with a good overall satisfaction rating. Nevertheless, endoscopic technologies continue to advance rapidly, including in the field of learning and practicing. Our task for the 2nd ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop – Endoscopy Portion in 2020 will therefore be to introduce the very latest progress in endoscopy. Once again, there will be ample opportunity for interaction with a tremendous faculty, as well as clinical endoscopy video scenarios and practical educational activities. So keep up to date on ECCO Educational Activities and make sure not to miss the next ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop in 2020 in Vienna.

Report on the 1^st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop – Ultrasound and MRI  Portion 

Participating speakers and chairs: Andrea Laghi (Rome, Italy), Giovanni Maconi (Milan, Italy), Christian Maaser (Lüneburg, Germany), Jordi Rimola (Barcelona, Spain), Torsten Kucharzik (Lüneburg, Germany), Francesca Maccioni (Rome, Italy), Stephan Vavricka (Zurich, Switzerland), Pasquale Paolantonio  (Rome, Italy), Rune Wilkens  (Copenhagen, Denmark), Arun Gupta  (London, United Kingdom), Britta Siegmund (Berlin, Germany), Cristiana Bonifacio (Rozzano, Italy) and Michael Torkzad (London, United Kingdom)

1st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop 2019 © ECCO

In the Ultrasound and MRI portion of the 1^st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop, gastroenterologists from ECCO with expertise in intestinal ultrasonography and radiologists from ESGAR (European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology) with expertise in IBD cooperated closely to provide delegates with fully immersive training in imaging in IBD. This was the second edition of the course.

The course, conceived as a combination of practical skill sessions and interactive discussions on imaging of IBD, opened with two introductory lectures, one on intestinal ultrasound and the other on entero-MRI. The 60 delegates then subdivided into small groups around 12 workstations, where, with the help of expert tutors (one radiologist and one gastroenterologist), they interactively discussed MRI exams and performed sonographic evaluations, employing hands-on intestinal ultrasound simulators on different IBD cases.  

The small groups and the excellence of the tutors gave all delegates the possibility to interact, share experience and discuss specific clinical situations in different cases commonly encountered in IBD practice. The wide range of clinical situations and cases, which included early assessment and management of suspected IBD, assessment of Crohn’s Disease activity, detection of extramural complications of IBD such as fistulas and abscesses, evaluation of postoperative recurrence and management of perianal Crohn's Disease, provided everyone with the opportunity to learn about the limitations and advantages of the main imaging techniques used in IBD and to appreciate their synergic use in the management of the patients.

1st ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop 2019 © ECCO

Like the previous edition, the course was very well appreciated, and the immediate feedback from delegates indicated that it had been a great success. For many attendees it represented an opportunity to explore the capabilities of ultrasound and to better understand MRI and its role in the management of patients.

The success of the course offers a stimulus for us to continue to provide hands-on workshops on these techniques. Given the growing interest in bowel ultrasound and radiological imaging in IBD and the reception of the course among colleagues, we hope to see many of you at the next ECCO-ESGAR Basic Imaging Workshop in Vienna 2020.