Digestive Diseases

Digestive Diseases Pathology is a major field of activity in histopathology, accounting for approximately 35% of the specialty. Not surprisingly, the Digestive Diseases working group (WG) has a large membership. Currently there are 294 members from more than 40 countries in Europe and further afield. All WG members are members of the ESP, according to the rules of the Society.

The WG deals with the tubal gut, the liver, pancreas and the biliary system. It is administrated by a Chair, who is usually a GI pathologist (Roger Feakins from the UK since 2020), and a co-Chair, who is usually a hepatopancreatobiliary pathologist (Irene Esposito from Germany since 2020).

An important task of the WG is to organise sessions on digestive disease at the European Congress of Pathology (ECP). Usually there are 10-12 digestive disease sessions at the ECP, including short courses, symposia, slide seminars, business meetings and videomicroscopy sessions. Some of the sessions are organised with other ESP working groups or with other European or non-European societies (e.g., UEG, ECCO, GIPS).

The WG contributed to the creation of the ESP Advanced Training Centres, and there are two centres focusing on GI and one on liver. We encourage young members to apply for the Giordano Fellowship in order to secure a place in one of these high quality centres.

The WG also supports a wide range of other activities, e.g., guideline development, surveys for research, educational events, webinars, and examinations. It contributes to conferences held by other societies, e.g. UEG.

We aim to develop collaborative research, academic and educational projects, and also to establish links between our WG and other ESP WGs and between our WG and the national GI/pancreas/liver pathology groups that exist in many European countries.

We welcome any suggestions.