EUROSON School

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Report on Short Course on Abdominal Ultrasound in Tropical Medicine

Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Pavia, IRCCS S.Matteo Hospital Foundation - Pavia, Italy, April 2006

The course was organized with 20 hours hands-on sessions and 20 hours lectures. Hands-on was supervised by Drs. Brunetti and Debernardis, the latter acting also as a tutor.

Lectures included basic abdominal sonographic anatomy and the use of ultrasound in ascariasis, abdominal abscess (amoebic, bacterial, fungal), cystic echinococcosis, schistosomiasis, and filiariasis, fasciolosis, fluke infections, AIDS, tuberculosis. Specific lectures were devoted to teaching ultrasound in tropical countries and the use of ultrasound in prevalence studies of parasitic diseases.

Faculty included experts in ultrasound from Italy, Switzerland, UK, Germany and the West Indies. There were 8 participants from Italy, Ghana, Norway, United Kingdom, United States and Switzerland. Ultrasound experience of attendees varied from experienced practitioner to beginner.

Applications were received from several African countries, namely Congo and Cameroon, but those applicants could not find money to fund their travels so they had to withdraw. In this respect, we were lucky to have two scholarships covering the tuition fee made available by SIUMB (Italian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology); they were awarded to two physicians from Ghana. Funds to cover tuition fees for more participants to the course that will be held next year (2007) will be raised in order to facilitate participation from tropical countries.

The course was well received and colleagues from different countries (Burkina Faso and USA) have already signalled their interest and will apply to the next course (April 30-May 4, 2007).

Of note, this course is the only one available on this important subject, and has so far received co-sponsorship (non-financial) from World Health Organization and from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Dr Enrico Brunetti

The Course Director

Future EUROSON School

18-19 May 2007

Thoracic-, Neck- and Abdominal Ultrasound University Hospital Košice, Slovakia. Contact PD Dr. med. Jan Tuma, Seilerweg 1, CH 8610 Uster, Switzerland, Email: [e-mail], PD Dr. Milan Kuchta, LF UPJŠ v Košiciach, trieda snp c. 1, Košice, Slovakia, Email: [e-mail]

31 May-1 June 2007

Guidelines in Gastroenterological Ultrasound, Craiova, Romania. Contact: secretariat SRUMB: www.srumb.ro