Scientific Program


 MORNING SESSION 1
17:00-20:00
 ESPN Executive Board Meeting
20:00-22:00 Welcome Reception
08:15-10:30 MORNING SESSION 1
08:15-08:30 Maria Manuel Santos, Luca Massimi: Introduction to the Course
08:30-10:30 SPINAL CORD MALFORMATIONS
Chairs: Maria Manuel Santos, Federico Di Rocco
08:30-08:45 Timothée de Saint-Denis: Classification and Embryology of spinal dysraphism
08:45-09:00 Federico Di Rocco: Antenatal diagnosis of spinal dysraphisms
09:00-09:15 Timothée de Saint-Denis: Fetal surgery for myelomeningocele
09:15-09:30 Dominic Thompson: Postnatal surgical repair of myelomeningocele
09:30-09:45 Kristian Aquilina: Management of myelomeningocele related hydrocephalus
09:45-10:00 Dominic Thompson: Tethered cord syndrome
10:00-10:15 Claudia Rendeli: Long term outcome and management of myelomeningocele: the importance of the multidisciplinary team  (ZOOM)
10:15-10:30 Q & A
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-13:00 MORNING SESSION 2  

Chairs: Paul Chumas, Gianpiero Tamburrini
11:00-11:15 Wan Tew Seow: Lumbosacral lipomas: issues and management principles
11:15-11:30 Dominic Thompson: How I do it: lumbosacral lipomas
11:30-11:45 Laura Grazia Valentini: Lumbosacral lipomas rethetering: diagnosis and management
11:45-12:30 Maria Manuel Santos: Case-based presentations and discussion on LDM, split cord malformation, MMC, lipomas
12:30-12:45 Francesco Sala: Role of IONM in surgical management of spinal dysraphisms
12:45-13:00 Q & A
13:00-14:30 Lunch Break
14:30-16:00 AFTERNOON SESSION 1 

Round table on indications and timing in occult spinal dysraphisms
Chairs: Martina Messing-Jünger, Thomas Roujeau
Panelists: Kristian Aquilina, Timothée De Saint-Denis, Wan Tew Seow, Gianpiero, Tamburrini, Dominic Thompson, Laura Grazia Valentini
16:00-16:30 Coffee Break
16:30-19:30 GROUP SESSION I: Hydrocephalus and arachnoid cysts

GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C
16:30-17:30 Case presentation on orbit and skull lesions
Paul Chumas: Orbit lesions
Thomas Roujeau: Skull lesions
Wan Tew Seow: Encephalocele 		Hands-on session I
Instructors: Giuseppe Cinalli, Radek Fric, Ulrich-Wilhelm Thomale, Martin Schuhmann		 Case for discussion and solve case on dysraphisms
Instructors: Martina Messing-Jünger, Maria Manuel Santos, Dominic Thompson
17:30-18:30 Case for discussion and solve case on dysraphisms
Instructors: Martina Messing-Jünger, Maria Manuel Santos, Dominic Thompson		 Case presentation on orbit and skull lesions
Paul Chumas: Orbit lesions
Thomas Roujeau: Skull lesions
Wan Tew Seow: Encephalocele 		Hands-on session I
Instructors: Giuseppe Cinalli, Radek Fric, Ulrich-Wilhelm Thomale, Martin Schuhmann
18:30-19:30 Hands-on session I
Instructors: Giuseppe Cinalli, Radek Fric, Ulrich-Wilhelm Thomale, Martin Schuhmann		 Case for discussion and solve case on dysraphisms
Instructors: Martina Messing-Jünger, Maria Manuel Santos, Dominic Thompson		 Case presentation on orbit and skull lesions
Paul Chumas: Orbit lesions
Thomas Roujeau: Skull lesions
Wan Tew Seow: Encephalocele
  Day 3 | Wednesday April 22nd, 2026
08:30-10:30 MORNING SESSION 3

VASCULAR MALFORMATIONS
Chairs: Dominic Thompson, Wan Tew Seow
  08:30-08:45 Miroslav Gjurasin: Cavernomas: assessment and management 
08:45-09:00 Luca Massimi: Pediatric AVMs: congenital or acquired?
09:00-09:15 Domingos Coiteiro: Surgical management of AVMs
09:15-09:30 Isabel Fragata: Endovascular management of AVMs
09:30-09:45 Martin U. Schuhmann: Moya-Moya
09:45-10:00 Kristian Aquilina: Vein of Galen malformations
10:00-10:15 Giuseppe Esposito: Revascularization and by-pass   (ZOOM)
10:15-10:30 Q & A
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:30 MORNING SESSION 4

BREAK-DOWN SESSION ON SPINAL CORD TUMORS
11:00-11:10 Alexandru Szathmari: Case presentation
  11:10-12:10 Discussion among the trainees to find the solution
Dominic Thompson - Group A
Willem Pondaag - Group B
Martin U. Schuhmann - Group C
12:10-12:30 Alexandru Szathmari: Discussion about the solutions
12:30-13:30 Lunch Break
13:30-15:00 AFTERNOON SESSION 2

SPINE AND SPINAL CORD TUMORS
Chairs: Francesco Sala, Miroslav Gjurasin
13:30-13:45 Maria Licci: Spinal tumors (sarcomas, chordomas, aneurysmal cysts…): description and management
13:45-14:00 Francesco Sala: Spinal cord tumors: principles of treatment
14:00-14:15 Gianpiero Tamburrini: Cases for discussion: Spinal cord and cauda equina tumors
14:15-14:30 Dominic Thompson: How I do it: Spinal cord tumors
14:30-14:45 Timothée De Saint Denis: Management of deformities after spinal cord tumor resection
14:45-15:00 Q & A
  Day 4 | Thursday April 23rd, 2026
08:30-11:00 MORNING SESSION 5

CRANIOVERTEBRAL JUNCTION
Chairs: Kristian Aquilina, Alexandru Szathmari
08:30-08:45 Dominic Thompson: Embryology of CVJ
08:45-09:00 Timothée De Saint-Denis: Metabolic diseases
09:00-09:15 Alexandru Szathmari: Principles of CVJ stabilization in children
09:15-09:30 Federico Di Rocco: Spectrum of CM1 and its surgical management  
09:30-09:45 Ulrich-Wilhelm Thomale: Indications for surgery in CM1 and syringomyelia: when to
operate, when to not operate
09:45-10:00 Luca Massimi: Bony decompression vs duraplasty: does the discussion still make sense?
10:00-10:15 Radek Frič: ICP in CM1
10:15-10:30 Laura Grazia Valentini: CM1 and craniosynostosis
10:30-11:00 Q & A
11:00-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-13:30 MORNING SESSION 6

BREAK-DOWN SESSION ON CM1
11:30-11:40 Giuseppe Cinalli: Case presentation
  11:40-13:15 Discussion among the trainees to find the solution
Spiros Sgouros - Group A
Maria Manuel Santos Group B
Thomas Roujeau - Group C
13:15-13:30 Giuseppe Cinalli: Discussion about the solutions
13:30-15:00 Lunch Break
15:00-16:30 AFTERNOON SESSION 3

NON-SYNDROMIC CRANIOSYNOSTOSES
Chairs: Radek Frič, Giuseppe Cinalli
15:00-15:15 Federico Di Rocco: Clinical and genetical aspect of craniosynostoses
15:15-15:30 Giovanna Paternoster: What further examinations (US, MRI, CT, ENT...) and when?
15:30-15:45 Ulrich-Wilhelm Thomale: Principles of scaphocephaly surgery
15:45-16:00 Thomas Roujeau: Principles of anterior skull surgery
16:00-16:15 Maria Licci: Principles of posterior skull surgery
16:15-16:30 Q & A
16:30-17:00 Coffee break
17:00-20:00 GROUP SESSION II

GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C
  17:00-18:00 Case for discussion and solve case on CM1 and syringomyelia
Radek Frič: CM1
Laura Grazia Valentini: Siringomyelia
Alexandru Szathmari: Complex cases/complications 		Hands-on session II
Instructors: Paul Chumas, Gianpiero Tamburrini, Thomas Roujeau, Wan Tew Seow		 Case for discussion and solve case on craniosynostosis
Maria Licci: Non-syndromic
Giovanna Paternoster: Syndromic
Claudia Faria: Complex cases/complications
  18:00-19:00 Case for discussion and solve case on craniosynostosis
Maria Licci: Non-syndromic
Giovanna Paternoster: Syndromic
Claudia Faria: Complex cases/complications 		Case for discussion and solve case on CM1 and syringomyelia
Radek Frič: CM1
Laura Grazia Valentini: Siringomyelia
Alexandru Szathmari: Complex cases/complications 		Hands-on session II
Instructors: Paul Chumas, Gianpiero Tamburrini, Thomas Roujeau, Wan Tew Seow
  19:00-20:00 Hands-on session II
Instructors: Paul Chumas, Gianpiero Tamburrini, Thomas Roujeau, Wan Tew Seow		 Case for discussion and solve case on craniosynostosis
Maria Licci: Non-syndromic
Giovanna Paternoster: Syndromic
Claudia Faria: Complex cases/complications 		Case for discussion and solve case on CM1 and syringomyelia
Radek Frič: CM1
Laura Grazia Valentini: Siringomyelia
Alexandru Szathmari: Complex cases/complications
  Day 5 | Friday April 24th, 2025
08:00-10:00 MORNING SESSION 7

SYNDROMIC CRANIOSYNOSTOSES AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Chairs: Ulrich-Wilhelm Thomale, Laura Grazia Valentini
08:00-08:15 Claudia Faria: Syndromic craniosynostoses: Classification and presentation  
08:15-08:30 Gianpiero Tamburrini: CSF dynamics in syndromic craniosynostoses
08:30-08:45 Giuseppe Cinalli: Venous anomalies in syndromic craniosynostoses
08:45-09:00 Giovanna Paternoster: Surgical management and outcome
09:00-09:15 Q & A
09:15-09:30 Willem Pondaag: Peripheral nerve traumatic lesions
09:30-09:45 Martin Schuhmann: Peripheral nerve tumors
09:45-10:00 Q & A
10:00-10:30 Coffee break
10:30-12:15 MORNING SESSION 8

SELLAR AND SUPRASELLAR TUMORS
Chairs: Claudia Faria, Martin U. Schuhmann
10:30-10:45 Ana Cláudia Fonseca: Neuroophthalmological issues
10:45-11:00 Shlomi Constantini: Current treatment and dilemmas in optic pathway gliomas
11:00-11:15 Martina Messing-Jünger: Optic pathways and hypothalamic tumors: surgical management
11:15-11:30 Paul Chumas: Long term results and outcome in chiasmatic and hypothalamic tumors
11:30-11:45 Spyros Sgouros: Pituitary stalk lesions. Tumoral vs non tumoral
11:45-12:00 Gokmen Kahilogullari: Pituitary tumors in children: specificities
12:00-12:15 Q & A
12:15-12:45 Shlomi Constantini: Cases for discussion
12:45-14:00 Lunch Break
14:00-16:15 AFTERNOON SESSION 4

SELLAR AND SUPRASELLAR TUMORS
Chairs: Spyros Sgouros, Shlomi Constantini
14:00-14:15 Amets Sagarribay: Current trends in pediatric craniopharyngioma
14:15-14:30 Martina Messing-Jünger: Craniopharyngiomas: Long term outcome
14:30-14:45 Mohamed El Beltagy: Microsurgical management of sellar/suprasellar tumors
14:45-15:00 Gokmen Kahilogullari: Endoscopic management of sellar/suprasellar tumors
15:00-15:15 Q & A
BREAK-DOWN SESSION ON CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA
15:15-15:25 Shlomi Constantini: Case presentation
  15:25-16:00 Discussion among the trainees to find the solution
Mohamed El Beltagy - Group A
Martina Messing-Junger - Group B
Claudia Faria - Group C
16:00-16:15 Shlomi Constantini: Discussion about the solutions
16:15-16:45 Coffee break
16:45-18:45 Group session III

GROUP A half of GROUP B half of GROUP B GROUP C
16:45-17:45 Case for discussion and solve case on peripheral nerve surgery
Instructors: Willem Pondaag, Martin U. Schuhmann		 Case for discussion and solve case on sellar/suprasellar tumors
Instructors: Giuseppe Cinalli, Shlomi Constantini, Mohamed El Beltagy, Gokmen Kahilogullari 
17:45-18:45 Case for discussion and solve case on sellar/suprasellar tumors
Instructors: Giuseppe Cinalli, Shlomi Constantini, Mohamed El Beltagy, Gokmen Kahilogullari		 Case for discussion and solve case on peripheral nerve surgery
Instructors: Willem Pondaag, Martin U. Schuhmann
18:45-19:00 FINAL SESSION
Evaluation of the course