At the 20^th Congress of ECCO, held in Berlin, Germany from February 19 to 22, 2025, we organised the 10^th H-ECCO IBD Masterclass. The aims of our meeting were to discuss the histopathological aspects of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), to highlight the multidisciplinary approach to the diagnostic process – also illustrated by the similar number of pathologists and gastroenterologists in the audience – and to look towards the future.

Alaa El-Hussuna © ECCO

Change drives scientific progress, and committees evolve with it. As members transition, fresh perspectives fuel innovation and shape the future.

We are delighted to welcome two rising stars in IBD surgery to S-ECCO: Gabriele Bislenghi (Belgium) and Anthony de Buck van Overstraeten (Canada).

Mariangela Allocca  © ECCO

The 12^th ECCO Ultrasound Workshop – Advanced, organised in collaboration with ESGAR and IBUS, took place during the 20^th Congress of ECCO in Berlin in February 2025 as part of ECCO's Educational Programme. The workshop was attended by 166 participants and brought together experts from various countries, facilitating valuable discussions on the latest advancements in intestinal ultrasound (IUS) for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Ultrasound and MRI Focus

Mariangela Allocca © ECCO

Uri Kopylov © ECCO

The 6^th ECCO Workshop on Imaging, a key part of ECCO's Educational Programme, took place during the 20^th Congress of ECCO in Berlin in February 2025. Due to high interest, two identical sessions were held on the same day, allowing more participants to take part in this hands-on learning course. We thank all the speakers and tutors, whose expertise and dedication contributed to the success of the event. This collaborative effort brought together leading gastroenterologists from ECCO and IBUS, along with radiologists from the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR), providing a comprehensive overview of imaging modalities in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Glen Doherty © ECCO

The 23^rd ECCO IBD Intensive Course for Trainees took place on February 19, 2025, setting the scene for the 20^th ECCO Congress in Berlin. It may have been cold outside, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants or the engagement of the expert ECCO Faculty. A total of 100 participants from 36 countries were in attendance and this year we again welcomed participants not only from European ECCO Country Members but also from Latin America, Asia and Australia. As always, the programme was intensive, allowing participants to immerse themselves in a comprehensive update on IBD management.

Manuel Barreiro-de Acosta © ECCO

The 4^th ECCO Postgraduate Course in IBD was successfully held on-site during the 20^th ECCO Congress in Berlin in February 2025. The course was split into two sessions, with the first session, entitled “Prepare yourself with the experts”, focusing on common complications in IBD practice, which were presented by renowned speakers who are key opinion leaders in the field. The second session, entitled “Case-based discussion with IBD Experts”, was an interactive session with expert panelists, who discussed two vignettes that looked at practical assessment and decision making in the context of complicated Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

A total of 130 abstracts focused on epidemiology were selected for presentation at the 2025 ECCO Congress, the highest number submitted in this category in recent years.

This growth underscores the importance that ECCO Members and IBD researchers place on epidemiology in deepening our understanding of IBD aetiology, management and outcomes. In this article, we spotlight some of the most noteworthy abstracts that stood out to us during the recent ECCO Congress in Berlin (see graph). 

Murat Toruner © ECCO

Two studies received Best Investigator-Initiated Study Awards at ECCO’25. 

The first study, entitled “Low remission recapture after ustekinumab dose optimization in Crohn’s disease: results of the randomized placebo-controlled double-blind REScUE study”, was led by Peter Bossuyt and colleagues from Belgium.

Tauseef Sharip  © ECCO

Dear ECCO friends,

Welcome to the first edition of ECCO News for 2025! We hope this newsletter finds you well and thriving as we embark on another exciting year for the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation.

 We were thrilled to reconnect with so many of you at the recent ECCO congress in Berlin, which proved to be a remarkable gathering filled with insightful discussions. As we reflect on the success of ECCO 2025, we are eager to share key highlights, including groundbreaking research, innovative presentations, and updates on our ongoing initiatives aimed at advancing the understanding and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. We are sharing the highlights from the top 15 winning digital presentations on this edition. We encourage you to reach out to the ECCO Office if there are specific topics or content you would like to see featured in our future newsletters.

Warm regards,

Mohmmed Tauseef Sharip

Spyros Siakavellas  © ECCO

Dear IBD colleagues, dear ECCO friends and family,

I hope everyone is keeping well and looking forward to all the exciting opportunities and offers that ECCO has in store for the rest of the year!

But first let me bring you back to our flagship event, the ECCO Congress which took place in Berlin, February 19 - 22, earlier this year. This being the 20th iteration of the Congress, it was an important milestone in the journey of ECCO through the years. Needless to say, it didn’t disappoint us with a record-breaking number of 1534 accepted abstracts and with a high quality educational and scientific programme it provided a great platform for sharing and exchanging valuable knowledge.