History of the Macedonian Association of Pathology

1971 Prof. Dr. Dragutin Miletich
1971-1983, Prof. Dr. Epsa Urumova
1983-1999, Prof. Dr. Milan Jovanovski
1999-2006, Prof. Dr. Gjorgji Zografski
2006-2010, Prof. Dr. Vesna Janevska
2010-2015 , Prof. Dr. Neli Basheska
2015- 2019, Prof. Dr. Gordana Petrushevska
2019-2023, Prof. Dr. Slavica Kostadinova Kunovska
2024 – present, Prof. Dr. Rubens Jovanovic

• Macedonian Medical Association
• European Society of Pathologists
• International Academy of Pathology

• In the period 1979-1983, the 4th Congress of Pathologists of Yugoslavia was held in Kruševo. Before that, two intersectional meetings were held in Ohrid (1970 and 1982).
  In the period from 12-16 October 2011, the 1st Macedonian Congress of Pathologists with international participation was held at the “Metropol” hotel in Ohrid.
  ● The first Macedonian inter-congress meeting of pathologists with international participation was held at the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle in Skopje in the period 27-29 May 2013 with the main topic “Lymphomas in South-Eastern Europe”. The meeting was organized by the Association of Pathologists of Macedonia in cooperation with the International Group for the Study of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas.
  ● The second congress of pathologists of the Republic of Macedonia with international participation was held from 1 September to 4 September 2016 in Ohrid. The Congress was attended by 35 invited lecturers from several European countries (Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden and Turkey) and the USA, with 189 registered participants. Within the framework of the congress and the European School of Pathology, a workshop was held on the topic “Breast Pathology in the 21st” century, organized by the Breast Pathology Working Group of the European Association of Pathologists, and led by by Prof. Tibor Toth. 
  ● The second inter-congress meeting of pathologists with international participation “German-Macedonian Tutorial on Novelties in Pathology”, organized by the Association of Pathologists of Macedonia in cooperation with the German Professional
  Association of Pathologists and supported by the Faculty of Medicine at UKIM was held from 19 to 22 September 2018 in the Amphitheater of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, R. Macedonia

• A one-day symposium – HPV infections and associated diseases – diagnosis, prevention, treatment – ​​was held at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Skopje on March 25, 2011, jointly organized by the HPV Association of Macedonia, the Macedonian Association for
  Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy, the Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Macedonia, and the Association of Biochemists of Macedonia.

In the period 1999-2006, a total of 6 meetings were held (two in Skopje and one each in Bitola, Dojran, Kavadarci and Krusevo).

In the period 2006-2010, a total of 5 expert meetings and 7 expert meetings-workshops were held.

In the period 2010-2015, thirteen meetings were held, including 5 expert meetings and 8 expert meetings-workshops, as well as one European School of Nephropathology:

1. An expert meeting – workshop was held on 1.10.2010 in the premises of the Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine – Skopje.

Main topics:

● Diagnostic protocol for ovarian tumors

● Slide seminar on the pathology of superficial epithelial ovarian tumors

2. A joint expert meeting with the Association of Medical Doctors Specialists in Medical Biochemistry was held on 19.11.2010 in the amphitheater of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine.

Main topics:

● The role of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of tumor pathology

● Application of tumor markers in white blood cell carcinomas

3. An expert meeting was organized as four workshops identical in content, first in the library of the General Hospital in Prilep on 17.09.2010, then the General Hospital in Kavadarci on 2.12.2010, and the remaining two were held in the premises of the Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje on 13.01.2011 and 01.2011.

Main topics:

● Malignant lymphomas – classification and histological characteristics

4. Professional meeting – workshop and Annual Meeting, held on 6.05.2011 at the premises of the Institute of Pathology, in Skopje.

Main topics:

● Breast pathology

● Slide seminar on breast pathology.

5. European School of Nephropathology, supported by ERA-EDTA (European Renal Association and European Dialysis Association and transplantation) and from theWorking Group on Nephropathology in The European Society of Pathologists was held on October 14, 2011 in Ohrid.

Main topics:

● Diseases of the glomeruli

● Tubulo-interstitial diseases,

● Kidney transplant pathology.

6. An expert meeting – workshop was held on 9.03.2012 in the amphitheater of the University Clinic for Radiotherapy and oncology, in Skopje.

Main topics:

● Interpretation of skin biopsies from pigmented lesions,

● Slide seminar on the pathology of pigmented lesions.

7. Professional meeting – workshop and Annual Assembly was held on 26.06.2012 at the Amphitheater of the University Clinic for radiotherapy and oncology in Skopje.

Main topics:

● Pathology of soft tissue tumors

● Slide seminar on pathology of soft tissue tumors

8. An expert meeting was held on 28. 12. 2012 at the premises of Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje.

Main topic:

● International standard – ISO/IEC 17025:2005

9. An expert meeting was held on 05.04.2013 at the premises of Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje.

Main topics:

● Quality control in a histopathology laboratory

● Quality control of pre-analytical activities

● Quality control of analytical activities

● Quality control of post-analytical activities

10. An expert meeting – workshop and Annual Meeting was held on the 15th. 2013 at the premises of the Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty, Skopje.

Main topics:

● Pathology of ovarian stromal tumors

● Slide seminar on the pathology of ovarian stromal tumors

11. An expert meeting was held on 25. 04. 2014 in the amphitheater of Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine, Skopje.

Main topics:

● Quality control in an immunohistochemistry laboratory

● Quality control of pre-analytical activities

● Quality control of analytical activities

● Quality control of post-analytical activities

● “Pitfalls” in immunohistochemistry – a series of concrete examples

12. An expert meeting was held on 20. 06. 2014 in the amphitheater of The University Clinic for Radiotherapy and Oncology in Skopje.

Main topics:

● Quality control of work in cervical cytology laboratories

● Quality control in non-gynecological cytology – pre-analytical and analytical phase

● Quality control in non-gynecological cytology – post-analytical phase

13. An expert meeting – workshop was held on 07.11.2014 in the amphitheater of the University Clinic for Radiotherapy and oncology in Skopje.

Main topics:

● Placental pathology – introduction

● Pathology of the placental membranes and umbilical cord

● Protocol for examining the placenta and aberrations in the shape of the placenta

● Pathology of macroscopic changes in the placenta

● Histopathological changes of the villous trunk

● Placental pathology in complicated pregnancies: EPH-gestosis

14. Professional meeting – workshop and Annual Electoral Assembly was held on 3.04.2015 at the premises of the Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje.

Main topics:

● Pathology of epithelial bladder tumors

● Slide seminar on the pathology of epithelial bladder tumors

15. An expert meeting – workshop was held on 2.10.2015 at the premises of the Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje.

Main topics:

● Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland and breast

● Slide seminar on cytological diagnostics of thyroid diseases

● Slide seminar on cytological diagnostics of breast diseases

In the period 2016-2020, 9 meetings were held, including 1 expert meeting and 8 expert meetings-workshops :

1. An expert meeting of the IHR was held on 15.04.2016, in the premises of the Adzi Badem Sistina Primary Health Center.

Main topic: Skin pathology.

2. An expert meeting – workshop was held on 23.03.2017 at the premises of AD Alkaloid, Skopje. Main topic: Primary malignant bone tumors

3. An expert meeting – workshop – was held on 10.2017 at the premises of the Economic Chamber of the Republic of Macedonia.

Main topics: Role of the pre-analytical phase in the quality of tissue samples – part one.

4. Web conference with Prof. Anna Sapino – Scientific Director of the Candiolo Cancer Institute in Turin on the topic: Recommendations, recording, collection, transport, preservation and storage of cells and tissues for diagnostic research in pathology.

5. An expert meeting – workshop was held on March 8, 2018 in the Amphitheater of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main topic: Role of the pre-analytical phase in the quality of tissue samples – part two.

6. Web conference – Guidelines Tracking, Collection, Transport, Preservation and Storage of cells and tissues for diagnostic investigations of Pathological anatomy.

7. An expert meeting – workshop was held on 18.02.2019 in the Amphitheater of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main topics:

● Glial tumors of the central nervous system: Classification, pathohistological and molecular diagnostics, surgical and oncological treatment of glial tumors

● Case presentation and slide seminar on glial tumors

8. Joint expert meeting – workshop of the Association of Pathologists of the Republic of Macedonia with the Association of Pathologists and Cytologists of Serbia, which was held on 26.10.2019 in Salaš 137, Novi Sad, R. Serbia.

Main topics:

● Synoptic (structured) reports in gynecological pathology.

● Advanced molecular diagnostics of cervical cancer

● Pathohistological findings in patients with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease: a practical approach

● Synchronous and metachronous, collisional and composite tumors: reality in pathohistological practice and clinical significance

● TTA: Are we endemic?

● Molecular diagnostics of tumors for the purpose of targeted tumor therapy: dilemmas and obstacles in routine work

● Fine-needle aspiration biopsy and exfoliative cytology: utilization of paraffin blocks in routine immunocytochemistry practice.

9. An expert meeting – workshop was held at the Amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine, UKIM in Skopje on 12.2019.

Main topic: Detection of genetic markers with Microarray technology for targeted therapy in malignant diseases.

10. Professional Meeting – Workshop was held at the Amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine, Skopje on 11.2020.

Main topic: Pathology of neuroendocrine tumors

In the period 2021-2025, 10 meetings were held, including 5 expert meetings and 5 expert meetings-workshops:

1. Professional Meeting – Workshop was held in a virtual format on the ZOOM platform on May 5, 2021. Main topic: Prostate Pathology.

2. Expert Meeting – Workshop was held in a virtual format on the ZOOM platform on 12.2021.

Main topic: Molecular diagnostics of lung cancer – clinicopathological consensus.

3. A professional meeting of the Macedonian Society of Pathology was held on 29.9.2022 in the amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main topic: Cytological and molecular aspects of cervical cancer screening – Part I.

4. An expert meeting of the Macedonian Society of Pathology was held on 11 and 12.11.2022 at the Sirius Hotel, Strumica.

Main topic: Cytological and molecular aspects of cervical cancer screening – Part II.

5. A professional meeting of the Macedonian Society of Pathology was held on 4.5.2023 in the amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main topic: Bone tumors.

6. An expert meeting – workshop of the Macedonian Society of Pathology in cooperation with the International Society of Neuropathology was held on 5 and 6.6.2023 in the amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main topic: Neuropathology

7. Тhe Professional Meeting and Annual Assembly of the Macedonian Society of Pathology was held on 15.12.2023 in the amphitheater of the Acibadem Sistina Clinical Hospital.

Main topic: Pathology of kidney tumors.

8. An expert meeting of the Macedonian Society of Pathology on the topic “Diagnostic and treatment challenges in advanced melanoma” and an International Workshop on the topic “Workshop on Predictive Biomarkers of Toxicity and Immunotherapy Response in Advanced Melanoma“, in cooperation with the Macedonian Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology and the COST action (Immuno-model, Modelling immunotherapy response and toxicity in cancer), were held on 14-15.03.2024 in the amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main topics:

● Predictive biomarkers of toxicity and immunotherapy response in advanced melanoma

● Diagnostic and treatment challenges in advanced melanoma.

9. A professional meeting – course/workshop of the Macedonian Society of Pathology was held on September 29, 2024 at the Faculty of Medicine in Shtip.

Main topic: News in digestive pathology and practical application of anal cytology.

10. An expert meeting of the Macedonian Society of Pathology was held as a joint expert meeting with the Macedonian Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology (MARO) on 18.11.2024 in the amphitheater of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje.

Main topic: Modern diagnostics and treatment of patients with lung cancer and tumors of the gallbladder and bile ducts.

 In the period 2011/2015, teaching aids for students of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy were republished.