About
The European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) is a non-profit medical society based in Vienna, Europe, dedicated to promoting and advancing cardiovascular imaging by offering Annual Scientific Meetings, workshops, webinars, as well as other scientific and educational events.
Dear ESCR members, dear colleagues and friends,
Nowadays there are increasing clinical indications for cardiac CT and MRI; these radiological exams have become routine tests for diagnosis and prognosis of cardiac diseases. With its fast technical developments, cardiovascular radiology is an exciting field to be involved in. At the same time, it is a demanding field where radiologists and radiologists-in-training alike need to keep up with improvements in the imaging process and with the regular update of diagnostic standards. Cardiac imaging is also an area that requires close collaboration with colleagues from several other medical specialties.
ESCR has an essential role in the growing depth and broadening of knowledge and practice in cardiovascular radiology in Europe. ESCR, in close collaboration with the European Society of Radiology, provides education and training in cardiac imaging through webinars, workshops, conferences, consensus documents, etc, supporting and strengthening the role of cardiac cross-sectional imaging from a multi-modality perspective. ESCR also provides great networking opportunities, an ongoing exchange of know-how and experience, and shaping of professional leadership in cardiovascular radiology throughout Europe.
It is my honor and privilege to serve as President of ESCR 2022-2024. Together with an excellent team of members in the Executive Committee and subcommittees, we look forward to contribute to the vital ongoing mission of ESCR.
See you all soon at one of our next activities!
Statutes
The ESCR Society Statutes are available for download/viewing as PDF documents:
COMMITTEES (2022-2024)
EXECUTIVE BOARD
| President | R. Vliegenthart, Groningen/NL |
| Vice President | R. Salgado, Antwerp/BE |
| Past President | L. Natale, Rome/IT |
| Secretary | R. Budde, Rotterdam/NL |
| Treasurer | K. Nikolaou, Tuebingen/DE |
| Chairperson Scientific Committee | H. Alkadhi, Zurich/CH |
| Chairperson Education & EBCR Committee | M. Hrabak-Paar, Zagreb/HR |
| Chairperson Membership Committee | M. Pirnat, Maribor/SI |
| Chairperson Communication & New Media Committee | G. Muscogiuri, Milan/IT |
| Chairperson Guidelines Committee | M. Francone, Milan/IT |
| Member | C. Loewe, Vienna/IT |
| Member | M. Williams, Edinburgh/UK |
SCIENTIFIC & MRCT REGISTRY COMMITTEE
Chairperson
Hatem Alkadhi, Zurich/CH
Members
Sara Boccalini, Lyon/FR
Damiano Caruso, Rome/IT
Tilman Emrich, Mainz/DE
Matthias Gutberlet, Leipzig/DE
Nils Planken, Amsterdam/NL
Francesco Secchi, Milan/IT
Jonathan Weir McCall, Cambridge/UK
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Chairperson
Maja Pirnat, Maribor/SI
Members
Sara Boccalini, Lyon/FR
Tommaso D’Angelo, Messina/IT
Ahmed Ibrahim, Cairo/EG
Konstantinos Michailidis, Ptolemaida/GR
Marian Pop, Targu-Mures/RO
Sikandar Mohd Shaikh, Hyderabad/IN
Bernd Wintersperger, Toronto/CA
GUIDELINES COMMITTEE
Chairperson
Marco Francone, Milan/IT
Members
Federico Caobelli, Basel/CH
Carlo Nicola De Cecco, Atlanta/US
Nicola Galea, Rome/IT
Julian Luetkens, Bonn/DE
Alessia Pepe, Padova/IT
Luca Saba, Cagliari/IT
Bernd Wintersperger, Toronto/CA
EDUCATION & EBCR COMMITTEE
Chairperson
Maja Hrabak-Paar, Zagreb/HR
Members
Marco Das, Munich/DE
Fabio Greco, Bristol/UK
Alexandros Kallifatidis, Thessaloniki/GR
Sebastian Ley, Munich/DE
Casper Mihl, Maastricht/NL
François Pontana, Lille/FR
Francesco Secchi, Milan/IT
Dominika Suchá, Utrecht/NL
COMMUNICATION & NEW MEDIA COMMITTEE
Chairperson
Giuseppe Muscogiuri, Milan/IT
Members
Simone Corradin, Padova/IT
Tommaso D’Angelo, Messina/IT
Marguerite Faure, Wilrijk/BE
Sonja Jankovic, Nis/RS
Niki Lama, Athens/GR
ESCR REPRESENTATIVES AND OTHER COMMITTEES
ESR Subspecialty and Allied Sciences Committee
R. Vliegenthart, Groningen/NL
ESR Education Committee
K-F. Kreitner, Mainz/DE
ESR Research Committee
B. Velthuis, Utrecht/NL
ESR Quality, Safety and Standards Committee
R. Salgado, Antwerp/BE
SOCIETY CONTROLLERS
Term of Office: 2023 – 2024
Mr. Christoph Mayer, Vienna/AT
Mr. Markus Pfingstner, Vienna/AT
Partners
The European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology is happy to announce a closer collaboration with the following companies/societies:
Interested in partnership?
Please contact ESCR Office for more information.
Young Club
ABOUT THE YOUNG CLUB
The ESCR Young Club is a working group of medical or PhD students, residents and young radiologists until the age of 35 (incl. the age of 35) with an interest in cardiovascular radiology.
The aim is to create connections and foster collaborations between young specialists and researchers, by providing an international communication platform to share experiences, exchange ideas and knowledge, and opportunities for social interaction.
THE YOUNG CLUB BOARD (2022-2024)
CHAIRPERSON - Mariia Tregubova, Kyiv/UA
Vitayu! My name is Mariia Tregubova and I’m a radiologist in Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, located in Kyiv. I am engaged in both clinical and research activity. Cardiac CT in adult and paediatric patients is of particular interest to me.
SECRETARY - Giulia Cundari, Rome/IT
Ciao! I’m Giulia Cundari, an Italian radiology resident at the Department of Radiology of Sapienza University (Rome). I really love
radiology and I’m particularly focused on cardiac MRI and cardiac CT, both with clinical and scientific research activities.
BENEFITS
– Meet young radiologists, experts and make new friends
– Discuss your work and research
– Receive updates on upcoming events
– Help shaping the future of cardiovascular radiology
– Learn more about cardiovascular imaging from the ESCR Webinars
– Attend Young Club initiatives for aspiring cardiovascular radiologists during ESCR Annual Scientific Meetings
VICE CHAIRPERSON - Moritz Halfmann, Mainz/DE
Moin! I’m Moritz Halfmann, a German radiologist in training at the Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the University Medical Center in Mainz. My research is focussed on multiparametric cardiac MRI..
BOARD MEMBER - João Carvalho, Porto/PT
Olá! I’m João Carvalho, a last year radiology resident from Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António, in Porto. I’m interested in cardiac MR and CT, both in clinical applications and research. Join us at the Young Club!
YOUNG CLUB BULLETINS
We are proud to present the ESCR Young Club Bulletins.
In case of any suggestions, comments, questions, please do not hesitate to contact the ESCR Office.
Enjoy the reading!
JOIN US
MR/CT Registry
The MR/CT Registry is a database for cardiovascular radiologists to upload their cases and examinations anonymously. At the same time they have the possibility to review cases of other registered persons.
https://www.mrct-registry.org
CT Submissions
MR Submissions
Contributing users
Participating institutes
as per March 1, 2024
The aim of the registry is to document anonymous Cardiac CT- and MR- examinations, which have been performed in Europe, as complete as possible. This seems to be necessary to get a thorough overview of the already existing relevance of these challenging new possibilities in radiology. Further education in the emerging techniques of Cardiac Imaging will be supported.
The registry additionally intends to recruit teachers and identify potential training centers throughout Europe. Furthermore, the MR/CT registry does document and certify personally performed Cardiac CT- and MR-examinations for the application of further qualifying procedures (e.g. European Diploma in Cardiovascular Diploma, etc.). This is necessary on a European as well as on a national level.
STATISTICS
To get an overview of the newest updates, statistics and numbers on the MR/CT Registry download the MR/CT Booklet.
PUBLICATIONS
Quality and safety of coronary computed tomography angiography
at academic and non-academic sites: insights from a large European
registry (ESCR MR/CT Registry)
The European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) proudly presents an article on “Quality and safety of coronary computed tomography angiography at academic and non-academic sites: insights from a large European registry (ESCR MR/CT Registry)”.
Objectives
To compare the use of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) between academic and non-academic
sites across Europe over the last decade.
Results
Among 64,317 included patients (41% female; 60 ± 13 years), academic sites accounted for most cases in 2010–2014
(52%), while non-academic sites dominated in 2015–2020 (71%). Despite less contemporary technology, non-academic sites
maintained low radiation doses (4.76 [2.46–6.85] mSv) with a 30% decline of high-dose scans ( > 7 mSv) over time. Academic
and non-academic sites both reported diagnostic image quality in 98% of cases and low rate of scan-related adverse events
(0.4%). Academic and non-academic sites examined similar patient populations (41% females both; age: 61 ± 14 vs. 60 ± 12
years; pretest probability for obstructive CAD: low 21% vs. 23%, intermediate 73% vs. 72%, high 6% both, CAD prevalence on
CCTA: 40%vs. 41%). Nevertheless, non-academic sites referred more patients to non-invasive ischemia testing (6.5% vs. 4.2%)
and invasive coronary angiography/surgery (8.5% vs. 5.6%).
Methods
We analyzed a large multicenter registry (ESCRMR/CT Registry) of stable symptomatic patients who received CCTA
01/2010–01/2020 at 47 (22%) academic and 165 (78%) non-academic sites across 19 European countries. We compared image
quality, radiation dose, contrast-media-related adverse events, patient characteristics, CCTA findings, and downstream testing
between academic and non-academic sites.
Conclusion
Non-academic and academic sites provide safe, high-quality CCTA across Europe, essential to successfully implement
the recently updated guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes. However, despite examining
similar populations with comparable CAD prevalence, non-academic sites tend to refer more patients to downstream testing.
Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents for Cardiac MRI
The European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) proudly presents an article on “Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents for Cardiac MRI: Use of Linear and Macrocyclic Agents with Associated Safety Profile from 154 779 European Patients”, which now is available for download free of charge via the link below.
Objectives
To assess current use and acute safety profiles of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in cardiac MRI given recent suspensions of GBCA approval.
Results
A total of 154 779 patients (average age, 53 years 6 19 [standard deviation]; 99 106 men) who underwent cardiac MRI were included, the majority of whom underwent administration of GBCAs (94.2% [n = 145 855]). While linear GBCAs were used in 15.2% of examinations through 2011, their use decreased to less than 1% in 2018 and 2019. Overall, 0.36% (n = 556) of AAEs were documented (mild, 0.12% [n = 178]; moderate, 0.21% [n = 331]; severe, 0.03% [n = 47]). For nonenhanced cardiac MRI, examination- related events were reported in 2.59% (231 of 8924) of cases, the majority of which were anxiety (0.98% [n = 87]) and dyspnea (0.93% [n = 83]). AAE rates varied significantly by pharmacologic stressor, GBCA molecular structure (macrocyclic vs linear GBCA: multivariable odds ratio, 0.634; 95% confidence interval: 0.452, 0.888; P = .008), GBCA subtype, and imaging indication.
Methods
Patients were retrospectively included from the multinational multicenter European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) MR/CT Registry collected between January 2013 and October 2019. GBCA-associated acute adverse events (AAEs) were classified as mild (self-limiting), moderate (pronounced AAE requiring medical management), and severe (life threatening). Multivariable generalized linear mixed-effect models were used to assess AAE likelihood.
Conclusion
Gadolinium-based contrast agent administration changed according to recent regulatory decisions, with use of macrocyclic agents almost exclusively in 2018 and 2019; these agents also demonstrated a favorable acute safety profile.
Acute Adverse Events in CMR of the MR/CT Registry
The European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) proudly presents an article on “Acute adverse events in cardiac MR imaging with gadolinium-based contrast agents: results from the European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) MRCT Registry in 72,839 patients”, which now is available for download free of charge via the link below.
We are really proud of that first paper on the Acute Adverse Events in CMR of the ESCR Cardiac MRCT Registry, which nicely demonstrates, that CMR and especially Stress CMR is a safe and reliable method.
Objectives
To assess the incidence of acute adverse events (AAEs) in gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.
Results
In the study population of 72,839 GBCA-enhanced CMRs, a total of 260 AAEs were reported (0.36%), with a minority of severe AAEs (n = 24, 0.033%). Allergic-like AAEs were less likely than physiologic AAEs (29% versus 71%). Patients without pharmacological stress imaging had a lower AAE rate (0.22%) compared to stress imaging (0.75%), with the highest AAE rates for regadenoson (2.95%). AAE rates also varied by GBCA subtype (overall p < 0.001). There was significant interaction between GBCA and pharmacological stressor (interaction p = 0.025), with AAE rates ranging between 0 and 10% for certain GBCA/stressor combinations. There was further marginal evidence that higher GBCA volume was associated with higher AAE incidence (OR = 1.02, p = 0.05).
Methods
Gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA)–enhanced CMR data from the multinational, multicenter European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology MRCT Registry was included. AAE severity was classified according to the American College of Radiology Manual on Contrast Media (mild, moderate, severe). Multivariable generalized linear mixed effect models were used to assess the likelihood of AAEs in various GBCA, adjusting for pharmacological stressor, main indications (i.e., suspected or known coronary artery disease or myocarditis), age, sex, and submitting center as a random effect.
Conclusion
GBCA-enhanced CMR imaging demonstrates low AAE rates comparable to those of other body regions. AAE likelihood correlates with GBCA subtype, pharmacological stressor, and imaging indication. Intravenous fluid administration in patients with cardiac impairment might contribute to these findings.
Endorsement
The ESCR board may endorse and support national workshops and congresses if such events fulfill the following rules:
1) ESCR board members will be included in the programme planning committee
2) ESCR board members will be actively involved in the time scheduled and organisation of the event
3) ESCR logo will be included in a local event advertisement after agreement of ESCR board members
4) ESCR will promote the events by his members network, website and during webinars
In counterpart ESCR board members will be invited to such events; all the costs for traveling and local accommodation will be charged to the local organisation committee. ESCR board members will travel in economy class and local expense will not exceed what could be considered as reasonable by both parties. The number of invited ESCR board members will be set in agreement between both parties.
ESCR shall not be charged by the local organisation committee. ESCR will not be responsible for the financial aspect of the events.
The local organisation committee and local attendees of the event should fulfill the rules of the reduced ESCR membership fee as it works through main countries in Europe.
The Scientific Committee Chairperson and Education Chairperson shall decide whether the event will be endorsed. In order to apply for endorsement please send your documents 6 months prior to your event to office@escr.org.