Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Rheumatology – Basic Course

Congress Venue: Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Date: March 19 – 21, 2026

Official language: English

Scientific Director of the Course: Prof. Annamaria Iagnocco, Italy

Executive director of the Course: Prof. Anastas Batalov, Bulgaria

Organizing Secretariat: Bulgaria Association for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (BAMSU)

Secretary of the Course: Prof. Rositsa Karalilova, Bulgaria, Assoc. Prof. Plamen Todorov, Bulgaria

Technical organizer: Brandea Ltd

The speakers will come from major European musculoskeletal ultrasound research centres and are rheumatologists mostly involved in previous EULAR courses.

Annamaria Iagnocco (Italy)

Nemanja Damjanov (Serbia)

Giasna Giokits (Greece) 

Peter Mandl (Austria) 

Daniela Fodor (Romania)

Peter  Balint (Hungary) 

Violeta Vlad (Romania) 

Euginio De Miguel (Spain) 

Adham Khalil (Egypt) 

Francesco Pora (Italy) 

Florin Vreju (Romania)

Rositsa Karalilova (Bulgaria) 

Plamen Todorov (Bulgaria) 

Rodina Nestorova (Bulgaria) 

Anastas Batalov (Bulgaria)

Tutors: N. Damjanov, G. Giokis, P. Mandl, P. Balint, V. Vlad, E. De Miguel, A. Khalil, D. Fodor, F. Porta, F. Vreju, R. Karalilova, P. Todorov, R. Nestorova, Z. Batalov

Registration for this course is open to all EULAR member countries

The number of participants is limited to 42

Some pharmaceutical companies will support the course logistically and with sponsorship

Sponsors will not have influence on the programme, its content or speakers

There will be an evaluation of the course by the attendees

Registration fee 850 EUR (Without accommodation)

Registration fees include course, educational material, lunch, all coffee breaks and certificate.

CONGRESS OPENING HOURS

Thursday, March 19th, 2026, 11.00 – 19.30

Friday, March 20th, 2026, 08.30-20.00

Saturday, March 21st, 2026, 08.30-13.30

CERTIFICTE OF ATTENDANCE

Participants can receive their certificate of attendance during the closing session on the 21st of March 2026.

To receive the certificate of attendance it is mandatory to complete and submit the evaluation form, at the Course Secretariat, before the closing session.

• to learn the indications and limitations of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) in rheumatology
• to learn sonoanatomy and identify different musculoskeletal structures in healthy subjects by US
• to learn standard scans in different anatomic areas according to EULAR guidelines
• to learn ultrasound-detectable abnormalities in rheumatology

• Applications, indications and limitations of MSUS in rheumatology;
• US physics and technology;
• US patterns of musculoskeletal structures; MSUS artifacts and pitfalls;
• Appropriate use and positioning of the probe;
• US settings and B-mode/Doppler optimization;
• Standard scans of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot;
• Basic US pathology;
• Interpretation of Ultrasound images;
• US report and documentation;
• US diagnosis;
• Basic skills in US-guided procedures

• US Setting
• Sonoanatomy
• Standard scans of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot in healthy subjects
• Training in elementary US basic lesions in patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs).