Mohammed Al Thagafi, Mohamed Hiari, Jean Tamraz

The concept of formulating the Pan Arab Neuroradiology Society (PANRS) started in May 1993 after the World Federation of Neuroradiological Societies had taken a decision to encourage the establishment of regional Neuroradiological societies throughout the world, with the aim of improving this important and interdisciplinary subspeciality.

Dr. Hassan Sharif was the representative at the founding committee of the World Federation of Neuroradiological Societies (WFNRS), and attended the meeting in Vancouver. Under the guidance of the late Derek Harwood Nash, who was then the Acting Secretary General of the WFNRS, the idea of creation of the Pan Arab NeuroRadiological Society was born.

The Pan Arab NeuroRadiological society was consequently established in 1994 at its founding meeting, which took place in Beirut, Lebanon. Dr. Khalaf Al Moutaery (KSA), Dr. Ghassan Rizk (Lebanon), President of the Lebanese Radiology Society and Dr. Ashraf Kurdi (Jordan), President of the Pan Arab Neurology Society, were present at this meeting. Their attendance was to witness the birth of the society on behalf of the WFNRS. The other representatives within the Founding Committee were Dr. M. Al Deeb (Egypt), Dr. M. A Al Thagafi (KSA), Dr. N. Atallah (Lebanon), Dr. M. Hiari (Jordan), Dr. N. Jamsheer (Bahrain), Dr. M. Rudwan (Kuwait), Dr. B. Sawwaf (Syria), and Dr. S. Touibi (Tunisia).

A second and equally important reason for establishing a regional Pan Arab Society was that it was felt that the time had come to start putting together efforts to form serious scientific societies, arrange symposia and post-graduate teaching courses, with the aim of improving the practice of neuroradiology and its development throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

As the society is still in its early stages, it is our intention to encourage the new generation of neuroradiologists to join and take advantage of what we, as a Society, can offer. Our future is reliant upon the support from each other so that we can ensure the best possible standards of neuroradiological practice.

Since the establishment of the PANRS, we have had the opportunity to organise two Pan Arab African Society Symposiums. The first meeting was held in Cairo in November 1996 for two days where both national and international speakers presented lectures on a wide range of interesting topics. During the meeting Dr. H. Sharif apologized for not being able to carry out his original plans. Dr. M. A. Al Thagafi replaces him for the remaining term as President and Dr. Jehad Al Watban, Head of Neuroradiology at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh acted as Secretary General-Treasurer.

 The second meeting took place in Tunisia in November 1998, where once again a national and international Faculty shared their experience within their field. During the meeting, a new Executive Committee Board is formed. Dr. M. A. Al Thagafi is elected as President and Treasurer of the PANRS for a further four years, Dr. J. Al Watban is maintained as the Secretary General and Dr. Tajuddine Malabarey (KSA) joined the board as the Educational Advisor. Proposed bylaws for the PANRS were distributed for consideration, to all members. A Newsletter to the PANRS is introduced. Its aim is to create a link between all members, with the objective of “popularising the activities of the neuroradiologists practising Neuroradiology in the Arab world, offering a medium of exchange between the various practitioners in Neurosciences, and bringing viewpoints of the society into the public domain”, as mentioned by T. Malabarey, Editor-In-Chief, in his editorial reported in the first issue published in 1988.

The third scientific Congress and Course of the PANRS was held in Jordan in june 2000 under the chairmanship of Dr. M. Hiari, President of the PANRS and Dr. A. Halilah, secretary-General. International speakers from USA and Canada such as Dr. Ann Osborne, Dr. William Ball, Dr. Mahmood Mafee, and dr. Michael Modic, were invited and contributed to the success of the meeting. This PANRS meeting followed a special symposium “Advances in Neuroimaging” organized in collaboration with the PANRS as a joint meeting with the VIIIth Pan Arab Union of Neurological Sciences conference, held in Beirut in April 2000, and placed under the auspices of the NeuroRadiology Research Group of the World federation of Neurology (WFN-RGNR) and the World Academy of Biomedical Technology (WABT). The program, endorsed by the WFN provided an opportunity to close interaction between neuroradiologists of the PANRS, neuroscientists involved in imaging of the nervous system and neurologists of the PAUNS, and foster the development of an interdisciplinary approach to neuroimaging, fulfilling the objectives of the WFN-RGNR founded in 1995.

The IVth PANRS congress and course, placed under the auspices of the WFNRS, the WFN-RGNR and the WABT-ME, and organised with the collaboration of the Lebanese Societies of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Radiology, was held in Beirut, September 16-17, 2004. Outstandings speakers from the Middle East and North Africa and from Europe contributed to the Vth Advanced Course as Faculty members, Dr. Danielle Balériaux (Belgium), Dr. Serge Bracard (France), Dr. Claude Marsault (France), Dr. Luc Picard (France), President-Elect of the WFNRS, Dr. Jordi Ruscalleda (Spain), President-Elect of the ESNR, Mr. Mario F. Secca (Portugal), Dr. Bassam Soussi (Sweden) and Dr. Jean-Louis Stievenart (France). Finally, this meeting would not be successful without the close and efficient collaboration with Dr. Maurice Haddad, President of the Lebanese Society of Radiology.

The President of the PANRS, Dr. M. Hiari, the members of the Board and the President of the 4th PANRS meeting, Dr. J. Tamraz, expressed their deep gratitude to the President of the WFNRS, Professor Michael S. Huckman (Chicago, USA), for his personal support brought to the Pan Arab Neuroradiology Society and its IVth meeting in Beirut.