The Slovenian Society of Neuropathology

The Slovenian Society of Neuropathology (SSN) was established in November 2004 as a division of the Slovenian Society of Pathology and Forensic Medicine (SSPFM), which was established in the year 1973. SSPFM is a part of the Slovenian Medical Association.

The SSN has the same Constitution as the SSPFM. SSN has eight members, so far. Only one member is a fully active neuropathologist covering central, peripheral nerve pathology and muscle biopsies of the patients with clinically suspected myositis  (Dr. Mara Popovic), one member performs muscle biopsies (Dr. Marija Meznaric Petruša, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Univesity of Ljubljana), and one member is resident in general pathology interested in neuropathology which she has chosen in the fifth year of her training (Dr. Clara Limback Stokin).Dr. Clara Limback Stokin will finish her residency in September (2010) and will be on duty in neuropathology as well as in general pathology.

The board:

President: Mara Popovic
Vice president: Mija Meznaric Petruša
Treasurer: Clara Limback Stokin

Activities:

Monthly clinical-pathological conferences from October to July (10 conferences per year) are organized by SSNP.

In December 2006, the 37th Professor Janez Plecnik Memorial Meeting at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana was organized by SSNP. The meeting was dedicated to ‘Dementias’. Abstracts are published in the Euro-CNS Journal ‘Clinical Neuropathology 2006; 6(25):291-307.

Neuropathology status in Slovenia:
Neuropathology is not recognized as a specialization in Slovenia. Since the year 2000, the last, fifth year of specialization of general pathology could be chosen by residents to study neuropathology as one of five possibilities beside cytology, forensic medicine, internal pathology (kidney and liver pathology), and surgical pathology. The training requirements for neuropathology in the fifth year of the residency program of pathology in Slovenia are: 150 brain sections, 500 brain tumor biopsies, 15 peripheral nerve biopsie.