International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies
Newsletter Vol 9 - No 6 | December 2025
ISSVA President's Message
Dear ISSVA Colleagues,
As we enter the holiday season, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable generosity, commitment, and collegiality within our ISSVA community. It is a true privilege to serve an organization in which members care so deeply for one another and for the patients and families we support around the world.
In this spirit of giving, we are once again inviting contributions to the ISSVA Education Fund, which will be matched by a generous donor. This board-designated fund enables ISSVA to invest directly in our mission—supporting educational awards, advancing committee projects, and enabling new initiatives that strengthen our society. Details on how to contribute can be found below.
You will also see the recommended slate for the 2026 ISSVA Board of Directors. In accordance with our bylaws, the current Board proposes this slate for the membership’s review and vote. Additional information on the nomination process and voting procedure is included in the section that follows.
Thank you for your continued engagement, your collaboration, and your friendship throughout the past year. I look forward with great optimism to what we will accomplish together in 2026.
With warm regards,
Leo Schultze Kool
President, ISSVA
Support the ISSVA Education Fund: Double Your Impact!
The International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) is excited to announce a special donation matching campaign to support the ISSVA Education Fund. This fund is a board-designated initiative that assists educational programs aligned with our mission to promote multidisciplinary education in the field of vascular anomalies.
Why Your Donation Matters
The ISSVA Education Fund is crucial in supporting educational initiatives that foster knowledge and collaboration among professionals dedicated to understanding and treating vascular anomalies. Your contributions help us:
- Provide scholarships and grants for educational programs.
- Support research and development in the field.
- Organize conferences and workshops that bring together experts from around the world.
Double Your Donation
To make your generosity go even further, an ISSVA leader has pledged to match all donations up to $5,000 USD. This means your donation will have twice the impact, helping us reach our goals faster and support more educational initiatives.
How to Donate
- Visit our donation page
- Select your donation type
- Enter your donation amount and complete the payment process
Every dollar you donate will be matched through 31 December 2025, doubling the support for our educational programs. Whether you give $50 or $500, your contribution will make a significant difference.
Spread the Word
Help us reach our goal by sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues. Together, we can advance the education and treatment of vascular anomalies.
Thank you for your support and generosity!
Registration for the 2026 ISSVA World Congress is Now Open!
Registration for the ISSVA World Congress 2026 in Philadelphia, PA, USA is now open! Early registration rates are available now to everyone for both in-person and virtual attendance. Don't miss your chance to take part in this meeting, networking, and the fun we have planned for you.
A dedicated hotel block for ISSVA attendees is also now open. Help ISSVA keep meeting costs down in the future by staying on our site hotel. It is located in the same building as the meeting, making your stay easier. There are lots of great options to eat and socialize at around the hotel area.
2026 ISSVA Membership Renewals: Renew Now to Gain Discounted Registration to the World Congress!
Your membership may expire on 31 January 2026. To receive discounted registration to the upcoming World Congress, you must renew your membership for the 2026 year. Continue to receive ISSVA updates and have access to ISSVA member benefits by renewing today!
If you prefer to renew with a written invoice, please reach out to us at info@issva.org or you can renew online on the ISSVA website.
ISSVA Board of Directors Election: Recommended Slate of Candidates
- The existing Board shall recommend a slate of candidates for the officer and at-large director positions for election by the membership. The Secretary must notify the voting membership of these recommendations at least four weeks prior to the General Assembly at which elections will be held. Only Active members can be nominated or serve as officers or at-large directors.
- Other nominations may be submitted by any member with voting rights to the Secretary at least one week prior to voting at the General Assembly. All nominees in good membership standing will appear on the ballot. Any member nominated for more than one office must choose which single office for which their name will appear on the ballot.
- The President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and at-large directors will be chosen by a plurality vote of a quorum of the members at an annual General Assembly, unless such election is instead accomplished by electronic ballot in accordance with Article III, Section 6 of these Bylaws.
- No individual may hold 2 offices on the Board, but a Board member may also sit on the Scientific Committee.
2026 Recommended Board of Directors Election Ballot
President Elect
Miikka Vikkula, MD, PhD
Brussels, Belgium
Specialty: Genetics
Vice President
Dov Goldenberg, MD, PhD
Sao Paolo, Brazil
Specialty: Plastic Surgery
Treasurer
Maria Garzon, MD
New York, New York, United States
Specialty: Dermatology
Member at Large – Up to 5 positions open
Eulalia Baselga, MD, PhD
Barcelona, Spain
Specialty: Dermatology
Annouk-Anne Bisdorff-Bresson, MD
Paris, France
Specialty: Interventional Radiology
Thuy Phung, MD, PhD
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Specialty: Pathology
Sarah Sheppard, MD, PhD, MS
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Specialty: Genetics
Ratification of Scientific Committee Chair:
Ionela Iacobas, MD
Houston, Texas, United States
Specialty: Hematology/Oncology
Positions NOT on the ballot in 2026
• President – Juan Carlos Lopez-Gutierrez – Plastic Surgery (2026-2028)
• Secretary – Denise Adams – Heme/Onc (2024-2028)
• Past President – Leo Schultze Kool – IR (2026-2028)
• Editor-in-Chief – Gresham Richter – Otolaryngology (2025-2030)
Visit our website to learn more about each candidate and read the bylaws regarding Board of Directors candidate selection/nominee process and voting.
ISSVA Classification & Glossary
Issue Reporting
The ISSVA Classification and Glossary, updated in 2025, is a living document. We encourage your feedback for future iterations. Please submit any issues and/or feature requests for the ISSVA Classification System using the form below. Note: Names and emails are required in the form below, however, your information will not be shared publicly. These may be used to respond to your feedback directly by the Classification Working Group and/or ISSVA leadership.
Copyright:
ISSVA Classification & Glossary for Vascular Anomalies by International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (2025) is owned by ISSVA.
The ISSVA Classification & Glossary for Vascular Anomalies 2025 was developed and updated by the ISSVA Scientific Committee - Classification Group. This version of the ISSVA Classification system (Classification & Glossary) is owned and copyrighted by ISSVA. Non-commercial use and reproduction are permitted without prior approval (see citation note below). Permission must be obtained from ISSVA for any commercial use or the creation of derivatives. For inquires, please contact: info@issva.org.
For citations please use: ISSVA Classification of Vascular Anomalies ©2025 International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies Available at "issva.org/classification" Accessed [date]
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ISSVA Members Receive Free Article Publication Fees Through 2025!
JoVA is now indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): and moving towards Pubmed Central indexing.
Follow JoVA on X: @JOVAJournal
We invite you to read some of JoVA's most recent publications:
ISSVA 2025 Classification
- Updated Classification of Vascular Anomalies. A living document from the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies Classification Group
Goldenberg, Dov; Vikkula, Miikka; Penington, Anthony; Blei, Francine; Schultze Kool, Leo; Wassef, Michel; Frieden, Ilona J.; ISSVA Vascular Anomalies Classification Group
How I Do It
- Integration of Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement System into Clinical Care for Vascular Anomalies
Hill, Lauren R. S.; Nakano, Taizo A.; Annam, Aparna; Klos, Michelle; Kulungowski, Ann M.
Clinical Study
- Adverse Events of Alpelisib Compassionate Treatment in Pros
Triana, Paloma; Nava, Francisco Borja; Lumbreras, María Isabel; Lopez-Gutierrez, Juan-Carlos
Clinical Study (Prospective, Retrospective, Case Series)
- Soft-Tissue Congenital Hemangiomas and Related Complications: A Retrospective Cohort of 14 Cases With Emphasis on Prenatal Diagnosis, Counseling, and Postnatal Management
Fortin, Francis; Fraissenon, Antoine; Lesage, An; Cabet, Sara; Combescure, Claire; Ferry, Mathilde; Bigorre, Michèle; Sauvestre, Fanny; Soupre, Véronique; Guibaud, Laurent
Case Report
- Segmental Hyperkeratotic/Verrucous Venous Malformation in a Neonate With a KRIT1 Pathogenic Variant
Rizzo, Julianne; Kempton, Darren; Konstantinov, Nikifor; Stepenaskie, Shelly; Smidt, Aimee C.
Call for Papers
The Editorial staff of JOVA is issuing a Call for Papers. This peer reviewed, open access journal is dedicated to the discovery and report of the scientific investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of congenital and acquired human vascular lesions. JOVA is indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and is available worldwide on Ovid®. Some manuscripts already have PubMed IDs.
We are accepting the following article types:
- Original Scientific Research (molecular, genetic, histologic)
- Original Clinical Studies (prospective, retrospective, case series)
- Contemporary Reviews
- Evidence based Reviews
- How I do it
- Case Reports
- Letter to the Editor
Submit today to ISSVA’s journal dedicated to Vascular Anomalies. Expedited review and publication!
Message Boards: Read the latest messages or start a conversation online with other members - ISSVA Message Boards.
Social Media: Follow ISSVA on Twitter @ISSVA_org and LinkedIn.
World of Vascular Anomalies
ISSVA believes it's important to unite the vascular anomalies community so we share with you, our members, the below events and changes in the field that are not organized or associated with ISSVA, but may be of interest to you. Please note that the events and news items listed below do not indicate an endorsement or sponsorship of these events by ISSVA.
Survey Opportunity from University of Montréal:
Peri-sclerotherapy thromboprophylaxis in children with vascular anomalies
Sclerotherapy is widely used in the management of vascular anomalies in children, yet the evidence guiding peri-procedural thromboprophylaxis in this population remains very limited. Clinicians currently lack consensus-based recommendations to support decision-making, and practice patterns may vary widely. To address these knowledge gaps, we aim to conduct a worldwide survey to characterize current peri-sclerotherapy thromboprophylaxis practices in pediatric patients with vascular anomalies. The goal of this initiative is to capture real-world variability, identify areas of convergence and divergence, and better understand how clinicians assess thrombotic risk and select prophylactic strategies. By mapping current practice, we strive to support the eventual development of more standardized evidence-based approaches and to identify priorities for future research in this understudied area. Take the survey here.
Are we missing any meetings or items of interest?
If you are aware of an upcoming educational opportunity, meeting or other item of interest that should be included, please let us know at info@issva.org so we can review the item and, if appropriate, share it with our membership in our next newsletter.