Spring 1997

From the Editor's Corner President's Message Business Meeting Minutes, March 1, 1997 Committee Reports Announcement of Upcoming Meetings Award Recipients at the 1997 Annual SPP Meeting Strategic Planning Retreat Update Case Submissions for March 1998 USCAP Specialty Conference on Pediatric Pathology Guide to the 1997 Fall SPP Meeting in the Twin Cities Announcements Nominating Committee Seeks Suggestions for Society Officers International Placental Pathology Group to Establish an "Americas" Branch Problem, Controversies and Recent Advances in Pediatric Pathology Future UPCAP Meetings Future SPP Meetings

The Annual SPP meeting again proved to be informative and fun. I’m sure that those of you from the great white north appreciated the warmth and sunshine provided in Florida. Those of us from the muggy south appreciated the lack of humidity.

There was something for everyone. The seminar on the value of the stillborn autopsy was appreciated by a large portion of the audience as it included useful information for the day-to-day practice of perinatal pathology. However, those with more research interest were not left out or let down by the high quality platform and poster sessions. Dr. Rorke’s Sidney Farber Lecture, ‘Virchow’s Great Great Granddaughter”, reminded me that we are all products of our mentors and predecessors and I am reminded that many “new discoveries” are just recycled from our past.

It was a great year working with Past President Buchino and I look forward to the coming year and working with President Dimmick. I do, however, feel that I may not have received my full allotment of the “bow-tie” gene but am very grateful too that I didn’t get the “facial hair” gene. I do believe that Dr. Dimmick’s other Pediatric Pathology gene, which codes for outstanding intelligence and humor among other virtues, is part of what makes us as a group unique.

In this Newsletter you will find invitations to upcoming meetings in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Nice, France. After typing in the specifics, I’m ready to sign up for both!

The Houston Future Planning Session identified important ventures that will enhance our Society and keep all of us busy this and subsequent years. The expressed desire tohave continuity of effort by the President-Elect, President and Past-President is being realized through John Buchino’s ongoing expert attention to fund-raising for the Founder’s Endowment, initiated by Joel Haas. President-Elect, Tom Stocker, will work with the Membership Committee, chaired by Virginia Baldwin, to design new ways to broaden the membership, particularly for the growing number of pathologists who have pediatric pathology as a minor component in their practice. In addition to fund raising, other ad hoc committees are active. Joe Rutledge chairs a group exploring new educational activities and will coordinate with the Practice and Educational Committees; Ted Pysher, collaborating with David Zwick and the Practice Committee, will assist in identifying impacts that can be made; Paul Dickman chairs an electronic medium ad hoc committee that will define further information and educational applications. One hopes that these and other initiatives will be expeditiously refined in the light of reality so that there will be applicable actions with, if necessary, a business case for discussion before the Fall meeting.

The Society is now entering into a new and exciting era with its journals. Published by Springer-Verlag, the new single journal will carry scientific articles of the discipline and regular presentations of Perspectives in Pediatric Pathology. I encourage all of you to be especially supportive of our journal by providing quality contributions. The initial months of the new journal are particularly critical for us to display the quality of our work.

At the Future Planning Session there were discussions around the administrative functioning of the Society. There is continuity of action by Past-President, President, and President-Elect, Councilors have additional roles in ad hoc committees and there has been attention to drawing junior members into committee functions. Continuation of planning is necessary and will continue around specific issues at the Fall Council meeting and, undoubtedly, will be needed in subsequent meetings if we are to fulfill the agenda of the Society’s plans.

I look forward to an exciting year engaged with you in bringing to fruition the Society’s new projects. On behalf of the Society, welcome to those joining committees, thank you to members whose committee term has concluded, and a special thank you to John Buchino for his contributions as President.

President Buchino called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm on March 1, 1997, in the Grand Ballroom IV, V, VI of Marriott’s Orlando World Center.

The Minutes of the 1996 meeting were read and approved.

President Buchino reviewed the accomplishments of the Society during his year as President. He thanked Drs. Silver and Mierau, outgoing councilors, for their service. He thanked Dr. Qualman, the outgoing chairman of the Practice Committee, and Dr. Witte, the outgoing chairman of the Research Committee, for their dedicated service. He thanked Dr. Alba Greco for her long service as chairman of the Archives Committee and her diligence in securing Society documents for the Archives; Dr. Penchansky has accepted appointment as the new chairman of the Archives Committee. He also thanked Dr. Roma Chandra, the outgoing chairman of the Awards Committee for her service. He thanked Dr. Joel Haas for his advice and counsel and Dr. Langston for her efforts on behalf of the Society. He reviewed the important developments of the year noting that many of them were the culmination of the efforts of many previous presidents as well. In 1998 the journal, Pediatric and Developmental Pathology, owned by the Society and published by Springer-Verlag, will become the official journal of the Society. Each issue of the journal will contain a “Perspectives” article; these will be collected and published as a single volume each year. The new contractual arrangement with Springer-Verlag should be favorable to the Society financially. Dr. Ron Jaffe, Mr. George Degnon and the editors of the journals, Drs. Denis Benjamin, Don Singer, and Jim Dimmick, all played important roles in bringing about this important change. The Society held a Long-Term Planning Retreat following the Interim Meeting in Houston, and many new initiatives to enhance the Society have begun as a result of that retreat. These will be ongoing efforts for the Society over the next several years. One significant outcome of the retreat is a change in the concept of the Society and its constituency, and efforts are underway to make the Society more accessible to individuals with an interest in Pediatric Pathology; this has resulted in a proposed change to the By-laws which will be discussed later. Our management group, Degnon and Associates, has now been working with us for four years, and has developed an excellent relationship with the Society and has been responsive to the needs of the Society. They play an invaluable role in the activities of the Society; their diligence in managing the dues payment mechanism has resulted in considerable increased revenue to the Society; and, George Degnon’s negotiations on our behalf related to the new journal publication has also been very favorable to the Society. The Founders Endowment for Research in Pediatric Pathology, initiated by Dr. Haas have grown considerably over the past year with contributions from individual members of the Society and from corporate sponsors. FERPP currently has a value of about $90,000, Council voted to transfer additional funds to it from Society reserves of $25,000. The goal for the fund is $250,000; the income from the fund will then be used to support the Young Investigator Awards, continuing this long term activity of the Society.

The Secretary-Treasurer reported on the fiscal position of the Society. At year end 1996, Society membership was 538 with 482 members who paid dues or purchased journals in 1996, an increase from a membership of 523, 363 of whom paid dues or purchased journals in 1995. Subscription costs for the journals remained unchanged from 1995; there were 461 Society subscriptions in 1996. There have been improvements in the holdings of both restricted and unrestricted funds and in the overall financial position of the Society. The combined total of Society funds at year end 1996 was $329,092 with $191,670 in restricted funds (Lotte Strauss Fund, Vawter Fund, and FERPP), $101,544 in unrestricted funds, and $35,878 in checking and savings accounts. This represents an increase of 40% in the value of Society holdings, 19% in unrestricted funds and 54% in restricted funds. The Lotte Strauss Fund has had no additional donations and no disbursements in 1996 as no prize was awarded. Its year end 1996 value was $105,541 compared to $78,316 at year end 1995, $67,684 at year end 1994, and $62,002 at year end 1993. This represents an increase in fund value of 35% in 1996. The fund is sufficient to support its current purpose and should gradually increase as income exceeds expenditures. The Vawter fund had additional donations from the Department of Pathology at Boston Children’s Hospital and from Mrs. Vawter in 1996. Disbursements in the form of two prizes were made from the fund. Its year end 1996 value was $22,419 compared to $17,142 at year end 1995, $16,322 at year end 1994, and $16,874 at year end 1993. This represents an increase in fund value of 31%, largely due to the additional donations. The fund is sufficient to support its current purpose and should gradually increase as income exceeds expenditures. FERPP had considerable additional donations in 1996 with a year end value of $63,709, compared to $29,025 at year end 1995. There have been no additions to or withdrawals from Society reserve funds in 1996. These funds had a year end 1996 value of $109,924 compared to $85,046 at year end 1995, $63,659 at year end 1994, and $69,475 at year end 1993. There was a 19% increase in the value of Society reserves in 1996. The Society’s 1996 budget showed a deficit of $7,203. This is less than was projected with the difference being in part increased dues income and the nondisbursement of budgeted discretionary funds for the journal editorial office. The 1997 budget as amended and adopted by Council shows a smaller deficit of only $4,000 despite increased support for the Central Office, contingency funds for the journal transition, and new funding for the Web page.

By-Laws Committee - Dr. Linda Margraf reported for the By-Laws Committee. She reviewed the previously circulated By-Laws changes. The first relates to a change in Article VI, Section 7 related to the duties of the Education Committee with respect to #7. A motion was made and seconded for approval of the proposed change. There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously. The second relates to a change in Article II relating to the criteria for membership. This change removes the obligation for nomination by a regular member in good-standing. An amendment to the By-Law change was introduced to require the submission of a member’s name on the application form without the requirement for a formal letter of recommendation was introduced by Dr. Baldwin. There was considerable discussion. The motion was approved with one dissenting vote.

Education Committee - Dr. Krous reported for the Education Committee. He thanked outgoing committee members. He thanked Dr. Baldwin for organizing the Symposium. He announced the Symposium topic for 1998 (Molecular Diagnosis in Pediatric Pathology organized by Dr. Beverly Rogers) and announced the committee’s intent to invite the Young Investigator awardee to make a presentation at the plenary session of the Society’s Spring Meeting. He noted that detailed instructions for poster and podium presentations would be forthcoming as an effort to enhance the viewability of these presentations.

Finance Committee - Dr. Buchino reported for Dr. Weinberg and the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee recommended approval of the 1997 budget which was done at Council. The other aspects of the Finance Committee report relate to a recommendation to move Society funds from their current individual stock portfolios to mutual funds. That recommendation was also accepted by Council. As Society reserves are substantial by most guidelines, the Finance Committee recommended the transfer of some funds from Society Reserves to FERPP. That recommendation was also accepted by Council.

Long-Term Planning Committee - Dr. Stocker reviewed the mechanism by which the recommendations of the Long-Term Planning Retreat would be implemented over the next several years with the initiation of a long-term planning session for Council at each Interim Meeting to carry forward this process.

Practice Committee - Dr. Qualman reviewed the ongoing activities of the Practice Committee in regard to the Slide Survey Program and thanked Dr. Novak for his efforts. He announced the initiation of a new column related to practice issues in the newsletter.

Publications Committee - Dr. Jaffe reported for the Publications Committee. He indicated that the format of the new journal would be available to view at the Springer-Verlag exhibit. Strategies to increase the journal circulation are being initiated, these involve contacts with the other pediatric pathology societies including the British, Australia/New Zealand, and the IPPA. The hope is that the journal will represent pediatric pathology world-wide. The current journal, Pediatric Pathology and Laboratory Medicine will be sent to Society members as usual through year end 1997, when our contractual agreement with Taylor & Francis ends. The publishers are likely to try to continue publishing the journal under other editorship. Dr. Edwina Popek has been appointed Editor of the Newsletter. Volume 20 of Perspectives is due out shortly and will be the last completely independent publication of Perspectives. A “Perspectives”-type article will be included in each issue of the new journal; and the Perspectives contributions for each year will be pulled out and published separately as well. The Web page has been the focus of increased activity; an ad-hoc committee for the Web page was appointed after the long-term planning retreat and new features are beginning to appear. The expectation is for a close relationship between the Newsletter, the new journal and the Web page. Dr. Jaffe requested Dr. Benjamin to discuss issues related to the new journal. Dr. Benjamin described the transition process for the new journal. He urged everyone to send their best articles to him for the new journal, as the first year of the journal is crucial to its success in the indexing process. There will be a substantial increase in the ability to publish color in the new journal. There may be a full electronic version of the journal from the start. And, additional photographs for articles such as case reports can be archived on the Web page. Associate editors will be increased from 3 to 5 with the addition of an editor for laboratory medicine and an editor to enhance European submissions. Manuscripts for the new journal should be sent to Dr. Benjamin directly.

Research Committee - Dr. Witte thanked the members of the Research Committee for their efforts. He reminded the Society of the availability of the McAdams Travel Fellowship, and announced the first recipient of the fellowship, Dr. Rabah of Children’s Hospital of Michigan, who will be going to Louisville to study fine needle aspiration. No Young Investigator Award will be funded this year.

Membership Committee - Dr. Virginia Baldwin thanked the outgoing committee members. She announced the newly elected Society members.

Nominating Committee - Dr. Dimmick reported for the Nominating Committee. He announced the slate of nominees: Dr. J. Thomas Stocker for President-elect, Dr. Claire Langston for Secretary-Treasurer, Drs. Alba Greco and Raj Kapur for Councilors at-large. There were no additional nominations from the floor. The nominations were closed and the slate accepted unanimously.

Dr. Boccon-Gibod invited members to attend the IAP Congress in Nice in October 18-23, 1998.

Dr. Stocker reminded members of the upcoming Aspen course and the Pediatric Forensic meeting.

Dr. Beckwith reminded members of the Sunday evening Pediatric Pathology Slide Seminar. He announced that the presentations at the Slide Seminar in Boston would be chosen on the basis of submissions to him of brief summaries of interesting cases. Please send these to him by June 1.

Outgoing Councilors, Drs. Silver and Mierau, escorted incoming President Dimmick to the podium. President Dimmick presented President Buchino with a carved plaque. President Buchino presented President Dimmick with the talking stick. The meeting was adjourned.

Gordon F. Vawter Award
The Gordon F. Vawter award for trainees was presented to Patricia Aronica, MD, for her poster presentation titled “Detection of Neuroblastoma in the Bone Marrow: Biopsies Versus Aspirates.”

Harry B. Neustein Award
The Harry B. Neustein award was presented to Jeanne Ackerman, MD, for her paper titled “I-Cell Disease—A Pathologic and Electron Microscopic Study of 5 Cases.”

Lotte Strauss Award
The Lotte Strauss award was presented to Raj P. Kapur, MD, for his paper titled “Abnormal Microenvironmental Signals Underlie Intestinal Aganglionosis in Dominant Megacolon Mutant Mice.”

A number of the items identified as “Top Priorities” at the Strategic Planning Retreat last October in Houston are actively being addressed by the Society leadership and membership. The committees or subcommittees assigned these projects formed to address a special issue, will be reporting to Council over the next few months.

Another major issue, that of making strategic planning an integral part of Council business, has lead to the Council setting aside a special period at each annual and interim meeting to allow discussion of planning issues. The first such session will be held in Minneapolis in September as part of the Council meeting prior to the interim meeting. Council members and Committee Chairs are being encouraged to raise issues they feel the Society might address in the near or more distant future. Society members as well are asked to present their ideas to the Council by submitting a short synopsis of their idea to the Chair of the Long-Term Planning Committee or any Council member. Ideas submitted by members by mid-August can be circulated to the Council prior to the September meeting, allowing a more active discussion in an “idea forum” at the Council planning session. Those ideas determined to be of “high priority” by Council can then be assigned to committees and presented to the membership on a timely basis.

The Sunday evening Specialty Conference on Pediatric Pathology is a major opportunity to showcase our subspecialty before a large audience of pathologists. In the past, speakers have been invited by the moderator, and then they in turn have selected cases for presentation. That format has proven highly successful, but some individuals feel excluded from the process. I am trying a different approach for the 1998 conference, by attempting to solicit the best possible cases for presentation. If you have a “great case” that might be appropriate for this conference, please drop me a note briefly describing the nature of the case (a few sentences are all that is necessary). I will select four or five of these for presentation.

Cases will be selected for their interest, teaching value, and appropriateness both for the evening presentation and for publication. All cases presented at this conference will be published in Pediatric and Developmental Pathology. If you have a series of two or more cases that you would like to publish, that is fine, with one case being used for the microscopic slide submission and introduction of the topic.

If you have a potential case, please drop me a line by June 1, 1997. The guidelines are as follows:

1. Anyone with a good case is invited to submit. This is not intended as an elitist exercise. Residents, fellows, junior members of the SPP, and individuals from outside North America are encouraged to participate.
2. Deadline for notifying me of a potential case you would like to present: June 1, 1997. I will notify the individuals whose cases are selected by June 30, 1997.
3. By submitting a case, you agree to have a final draft of the manuscript, with all illustrations, by the time of the presentation. Papers not submitted by that time cannot be included in the published reports.
4. Approximately 20 H&E slides, 2-4 Kodachrome from the case, case history, and handout are due about three months prior to the presentation.
5. The USCAP provides no reimbursement, meeting registration discounts, or other financial incentives to the panelists. (Editor’s note—the USCAP does provide a speakers' dinner prior to the presentations—but let me give you the warning that I got before my first presentation—"do not drink the wine").

I hope that each of you is already making plans to attend the fall meeting, along with your guests and new SPP members. The meeting brochure enclosed with this Newsletter describes pertinent information regarding the schedule and hotel arrangements. The following comments offer a few more details for savvy travelers and inquiring minds.

Airport Arrival: The Twin Cities International Airport is located approximately 15 miles southeast of the downtown Minneapolis area. You should plan on 20-30 minutes ground transportation time in order to make any meeting or appointments you may have.

Hotel Location: The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis is situated in the downtown area at the south end of a pedestrian mall, the Nicollet Mall. This area contains many excellent restaurants and shopping venues. The hotel also lies adjacent to Loring Park and is within walking distance to the Walker Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden as well as the Guthrie Theater.

Friday’s Events: Platform and poster presentations as well as poster discussion sessions will be arranged by members of the Education Committee. Guests may choose to tour Stillwater, located approximately 30 miles east of the Twin Cities. Stillwater is a picturesque town on the banks of the St. Croix river and is noted for its antique shops as well as local arts and crafts. Other options could include rollerblading or canoeing at one of the nearby city lakes. Those desiring a more extensive shopping adventure can easily take a taxi or local bus to the nation’s largest shopping mall, the Mall of America, which also includes an indoor amusement park, Camp Snoopy, and extensive aquarium. The Minnesota Zoo is a short distance from the Mall of America. Meeting participants and guests can meet at the evening October beer tasting reception in the hotel. A local brewmaster will be on hand to explain the making and tasting of several varieties. Non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks will also be available. Following the reception, participants may dine at one of a variety of establishments within the metropolitan area. A description of the various cuisines at a broad range of prices will be provided in the meeting registration packet. Evening entertainment options include the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, excellent small clubs for jazz and alternative music, comedy clubs and too many local theaters to enumerate.

Saturday’s Events: The morning will be devoted to five excellent speakers who will share their expertise in both the practical aspects and research investigations of pediatric hematologic disorders. At lunch, the symposium speakers will be available to discuss details with interested participants. The lunch hour will also form a framework for discussion of managed care issues involving pediatric pathologists in 1997, as a follow-up to a similar session held last fall in Houston. This discussion will be facilitated by SPP president, Dr. Jim Dimmick, as well as president-elect Dr. Tom Stocker. The remainder of the afternoon will be free until 4:30, when a bus tour of the Twin Cities will depart from the hotel, which will naturally include scenic lakes, Mississippi river views, the Mary Tyler Moore house and location of the Prairie Home Companion show. The tour will conclude at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, where the evening banquet will begin with cocktail hour, exhibitions of regional culture, Minnesota cuisine, and authentic Scandinavian music with dancing.

Sunday’s Events: All are invited to an outdoor brunch with abundant recreational opportunities in a semi-rural setting at my home, located approximately 25 miles northeast of downtown Minneapolis. Please dress casually and bring your swimsuits. Transportation to the brunch and to the airport, if needed, will be coordinated at the time of the meeting registration.

The Weather: Don’t worry about it. Late September in Minnesota usually means high in the low to mid 60’s and lows in the high 40’s to mid 50’s. We have plenty of skyways to keep you warm and dry if the outdoor air is not inviting. And besides, we’ve had our share of cold temperatures and precipitation, so we can expect a perfect, crisp fall weekend.

I would like to encourage you to attend and to submit papers to the IAP, to be held in Nice, France, October 18 - 23, 1998. The more Pediatric Pathologists who send good papers, the more will be accepted and the more our subspecialty will be made visible to our colleagues, which in these times of down sizing for Pathology Departments all over the world is extremely important. (Editor’s note: The official language of the Academy is English).

As a member of the Scientific Committee for the Nice Congress, I have been able to defend a good representation of Pediatric Pathology on the Program. As of today, the scheduled program involving Pediatric Pathology is a follows:

Monday, October 19, 1998—Slide Seminar
Surgical Pediatric Pathology ( L. Boccon-Gibod, J. Briner)

Tuesday, October 20, 1998—Short Course
Breast Lesions in Children and Adolescents (F. A. Tavassoli)

Tuesday, October 20, 1998—Short Course
Renal Tumors in Children and Adults (J.B. Beckwith and J. Storkel)

Wednesday, October 21, 1998—IPPA Companion Meeting
Cholestasis in Children (K. Misugi and R. Kaschula)

Wednesday, October 21, 1998—Symposium
Lung Pathology in Children (E. Cutz and J.T. Stocker)

Thursday, October 22, 1998—Short Course
Soft Tissue Tumors in Children (L.P. Dehner and P. Thorner)

Friday, October 23, 1998—Symposium
Genetics in Foeto-Pathology (D. Kalousek and D. Gaillard)

Friday, October 23, 1998—Slide Seminar
Foeto-Placental Pathology (J. Keeling and D. Gaillard)

I am also authorized by the President of the Congress to inform you that the Welcome Party on Sunday Evening October 18, 1998, will consist of very few (and very short!..), speeches, but will be essentially composed of a musical show by “les Desaxes”, which should not be missed.

You will find enclosed with this Newsletter a leaflet issued by the congress organizers. Please send the tear away portion back to the Congress Office with your name and address to receive the second announcements. If you want to contact the Scientific Office, the address follows: Secretariat IAP, French Division, 32 cours Albert Thomas, 69008 Lyon, France; Phone: (33) 04 78 76 93 46; FAX: (33) 04 78 75 43 11

If you have any specific questions regarding the Pediatric Pathology program or more practical and personal information, do not hesitate to contact me: Liliane Boccon-Gibod, Department of Pediatric Pathology, Hopital d’Enfants Armand-Trousseau, 26, avenue de Docteur Arnold Netter, 75571 Paris Cedex 12, France; Phone: 33(1)44 73 61 82; FAX: 33(1)44 73 62 82; E-mail: uroparis@easynet.fr

Before the end of this year, I will prepare a list of small and nice hotels in Nice, which many Pediatric Pathologists may prefer over the bigger Hotels listed by the Congress Office, and it will be published in this Newsletter. Nice is a medium sized charming town, located on the French Riviera (“Cote d’Azur”), and close to wonderful places like Saint-Paul de Vonce, les Baux de Provence, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, etc. A lot of famous painters have chosen Provence and its marvelous landscapes (Van Gogh, Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, etc), and you will be able to see the original landscapes and the works themselves around Nice. Food in this part of France is excellent (and cheap unless you want to go to the three stars Michelin at “Moulin de Mougins” or equivalent places). Climate should be perfect, between 15-20oC (60-70oF)

The Nominating Committee of the SPP is seeking your suggestions for candidates for the offices of (1) President-elect, (2) Secretary/Treasurer, and (3) At-large Council Members (two positions) to be elected a the annual meeting in Boston in February 1998. If you have suggestion for the committee for any or all of the above four positions, please send them to the Nominating Committee Chair, Tom Stocker. Please include a short paragraph indicating the qualities or experiences of the nominee that you feel would make them a good candidate. We are especially interested in those SPP members who have made significant contributions to the Society and/or to the field of Pediatric Pathology.

Mail, phone, fax, or E-mail suggestions to: J. Thomas Stocker, MD, Department of Pathology, USUHS, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799; Phone: 301/295-3480; FAX: 301/295-1640; E-mail: Jstocker@USUHS.mil

The International Federation of Placental Associations was adopted in 1994 at the 1st World Placenta Meeting in Sydney, Australia. Some members of the Pediatric Pathology Society have in the past participated in activities of this organization or one of its subgroups, the Rochester Trophoblast Society and the North American Trophoblast Group. Jorge Las Heras, MD, PhD, arranged a meeting in Orlando, of members of the Society for Pediatric Pathology interested in organizing such a subgroup, tentatively named the “Americas Branch of the International Placental Pathology Group”. The next organizational meeting will be held on Friday, February 27, 1998 prior to the SPP meeting in Boston, MA. Those interested in receiving future announcements please contact the group's founder: Jorge Las Heras, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago, CHILE; Phone: (56-2) 737-6655; FAX: (56-2) 777-4890; E-mail: jlashera@machi.med.uchile.cl

The Institute of Pediatric Medical Education and the Society for Pediatric Pathology will jointly sponsor a course on problems, controversies and recent advances in pediatric surgical pathology as part of the 19th Annual Aspen Conferences on Pediatric Disease. The week-long seminar will be held at the Gant in Aspen, CO from August 4 - 8, 1997 under the direction of Drs. Louis P. Dehner and Frederic B. Askin.

This course is designed primarily for general and pediatric pathologists but will be of interest to pediatric pulmonologists, hepatologists, and oncologists. Presentations will include discussions of pulmonary and hepatic diseases in children, selected tumors, and a variety of other disorders such as gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases, endocrine pathology and “pearls of Pediatric Pathology.” A microscopic slide set of 24 cases will be sent to participants prior to the conference, and the cases will be discussed in detail during a series of slide seminars. Participants may also submit cases for a “Stump the Faculty” session. Faculty members include, J. B. Beckwith, L. P. Dehner, F. B. Askin, J. T. Stocker, J. E. Dimmick, R. Shikes and A. Husain. Course participants will also receive a 250-300 page syllabus including conference presentations and slide seminar discussions.

This course, through the SPP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The SPP certifies that this CME activity meets the criteria for 29 credit hours of category 1 for the Physician’s Recognition Award of the American Medical Association.

For further information contact the Institute for Pediatric Medical Education, 6604 Landon Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817, Phone and FAX: 301/229-8338.  

1998 - February 28 - March 6 - Boston, MA
1999 - March 20 - 26 - San Francisco, CA
2000 - March 10 - 17 - New Orleans, LA
2001 - March 3 - 9 - Atlanta, GA
2002 - February 23 - March 1 - Chicago, IL

1997 - Interim Meeting, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN., September 26 - 28, 1997
1998 - Annual Meeting, Boston, MA., February 28 - March 1, 1998
1998 - Interim Meeting, Toronto, ON., September 18 - 19, 1998