[The Spanish participation in the Congresses of the International Society of Urology during the 20th century].
OBJECTIVE
With the occasion of the Centenary of the Constitution in 1907 of the International Society of Urology, initially named Association, we point at the topics treated and analyze the presence of the Spanish urologists in the foundation act as well as their role and contributions in the meetings during the 20th century.


METHODS
We obtained the data from the information in various periodic publications, from the memories of some participant urologists and from the meeting records.


RESULTS
We obtained notes from the foundation meeting of the International Association and two congresses, and also from the 25 congresses of the Society. We mainly extract data from the records edited by the meeting secretary, about the assistance of Spanish urologists and their contribution with conferences or communications and also about the relevance they have had holding positions within the organization.


CONCLUSIONS
From 1907 the presence of Spanish urologists both in the Association and the International Society of Urology has been a constant. During the first half of the century, a time when our Urology was in a period of consolidation, the people in charge of the main urology departments in big hospitals in our country where the ones that could transmit their experience, with a level and quality comparable with the rest of Europeans. During the second half, once the nations recovered from wars, the scientific activity continued with an increasing Spanish contribution, which extended all over the country with the creation of the net of Social Security hospitals. They had hierarchical urology departments that performed study and analysis of their case series and started clinical and experimental research, significantly increasing the number of Spanish communications, mainly in congresses celebrated in Spanish speaking or European cities. As a consequence of their participation, three of the 25 meetings organized during the 20th century have been held in Spain. The Spanish presence in the directing boards of the society was favoured by the presence of Dr. Salvador Gil Vernet to consecutive periods.
Pérez Albacete
Mariano
M
Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, España. mariano.perez2@carm.es
Tornero Ruíz
Jesús
J
Server Pastor
Gerardo
G
de León Castell
Ignacio Ponce
IP
D003226:Congresses as Topic / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D007390:International Agencies / Q000266:history*; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000266:history*; D013030:Spain; D014572:Urology / Q000266:history*