The first official meeting between the Iraqi Association of Radiologists (IqAR) and the European Society of Radiology (ESR) took place during last month's ECR 2014 in Vienna.
The ESR invited the IqAR to become an associate member of the society, which would make members of the IqAR corresponding members. This means radiologists from Iraq can benefit from free access to all ESR educational services, including EPOS (electronic poster) exhibitions, Eurorad (case report database), the European Radiology and Insights into Imaging journals, and self-assessment tests.
Also, the association will be provided with an official invitation to ECR 2015 in order to facilitate visa applications for Iraqi attendees. On its part, the IqAR promised to try to increase ECR abstract submission figures.
Dr. Atheer Adnan Fadhil Khalaf (far right) and colleagues from Iraq met with senior representatives from the European Society of Radiology (ESR) during ECR 2014, including immediate past-ESR President Dr. Guy Frija, current ESR President Dr. Lorenzo Bonomo, and ESR Executive Director Peter Baierl.
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)