Abstract Body

Change in the WHO happens slowly for obvious reasons. The current ICD10 was released nearly 30 years ago. The time has come to change and move on. The WHO topic advisory group on Neurosciences was formed in 2009 and started work immediately. The whole scene of Neurosciences was reviewed thoroughly and a new classification produced. The nervous system disease section is on the ICD11 platform open for inspection and comment.
Major advances in genetics, immunology, imaging, and therapeutics have changed the landscape beyond recognition. ICD11 however allowed a most crucial re-adjustment related to Stroke in all its guises. Since 1955 stroke has been classed as vascular disease and hence classified under diseases of blood vessels. This matters hugely to the fields of neurology and rehabilitation, as resources have been misplaced and the final losers were the patients and their carers. This has been rectified in ICD11 as stroke is classified as a disease of the nervous system, allowing recognition by governments and funders.
Moreover, all five thousand diagnostic labels have a short definition, which helps to better identify all conditions. The ICD 11 is open to public comments and a specialist medical and scientific advisory committee responds to comments. It remains for all those involved in the production of the nervous system chapter to watch and see the implementation over the course of the next decade.

Abstract Body

Rare diseases are more than 6000 disorders, that , for their rarity and complexity in the past years received few attention in the diseases classification process.

In fact the unique attempts to produce an inventory were made for genetic disorders by OMIM ( Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man) and after extended to all rare diseases by the INSERM and the French Ministry of Health, also becoming a Joint EU action, known as Orpahnet. This classification reported clinical and pathogenetic informations on the rare diseases further classified with an Orphanet number. A working group was organized when WHO reviewed ICD10 into ICD11, where rare diseases have been firstly considered in a global classification of the diseases. In fact a rationale and as complete as possible classification of rare neurologic diseases is of great help for the differential diagnosis and for improvement of the clinical and pathogenetic approach to these diseases.

Rare Neurologic Diseases represent more than 50% of the total number of rare diseases, giving to neurologist an important role in their diagnosis and care. In consequence of this, WFN approved the organization of a specialist group on Rare Neurologic Diseases, as well as the ENS and many other neurologic societies.

We will here report the approach to ICD11 to rare neurologic diseases describing several examples showing how the new ICD11 may be very useful in clinical activity, improving our skils for the differential diagnosis of the rare pathological disorders, finally resulting in an early treatment and better patient care.