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Biomedical subjects

A Papandreou

Publications and source records attributed to A Papandreou.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Is postoperative haematoma an avoidable complication of intracranial surgery?

Postoperative intracranial haematoma is a serious complication of intracranial surgery with a mortality rate of around 30%. There have been reports implicating abrupt rises of blood pressure during the last stages or immediately after the procedure, in the production of the clot. This prospective study examined this hypothesis. Over the last 7 years, 526 consecutive patients underwent craniotomy under a strict anaesthesiological protocol based on deep opioid analgesia which virtually eliminated any acute elevations of the arterial pressure during and immediately after craniotomy. Emergence from anaesthesia was delayed for an average of 1 1/2-2 h following the procedure. Postoperative CT was obtained in every patient. There have been no cases of postoperative clot formation in this series of patients. The results of the study suggest that postoperative haematoma is probably an avoidable complication of intracranial surgery.

Analgesia↗
PubMed1997

Amenorrhea in beta-homozygous thalassemia major.

Hemolytic anemias, and, in particular, beta-homozygous thalassemia, derange all vital organs. A shift of the survival curve to the right has been achieved, thanks to the intensive programs of blood transfusion; iron chelation; infectious control; and, most recently, bone marrow transplantation. Metabolic and endocrine abnormalities do occur, albeit in less severe forms in comparison to available data from 10 to 20 years ago, for example, osteopenia. The most commonly encountered hormonal disorder is the attenuation of gonadal function on a downstream basis, linked to iron deposition in the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadotropin axis. A transition, from low-amplitude endogenous GnRH pulses to apulsatility of LH patterns, precedes the inability of the pituitary gonadotrope to respond to the GnRH decapeptide administered either as an acute bolus injection or in a pulsatile manner for up to 7 days.

Amenorrhea↗
PubMed1996

Acute subarachnoid haemorrhage: detection with magnetic resonance imaging.

The purpose of this study was the evaluation of fluid attenuated turbo inversion recovery (FLAT TIRE) MR pulse sequence for detecting acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Seven patients with SAH were studied within 6 days of ictus. Six of them underwent both CT and MRI and one MRI only. Pulse sequences included T1 spin echo (SE), PD and T2 turbo spin echo (TSE) and FLAT TIRE (TR/TI/TE = 6500/1800/140-180). All studies were performed on a 0.5 T system (Gyroscan T5, Philips Medical Systems). Simulated acute SAH was also studied with MRI. The FLAT TIRE sequence was better than the SE and TSE in all seven cases and better than CT in two cases. In two cases MRI was equivalent to CT, and in another two MRI underestimated the extent of SAH. The simulated acute SAH could be detected easily with the FLAT TIRE sequence, with difficulty on the T1 weighted images and not at all on the PD/T2 weighted images. The specific FLAT TIRE sequence used seems promising for the detection of acute SAH.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Thecoperitoneal shunt for post-traumatic syringomyelia.

A case of post-traumatic syringomyelia developing two years after spinal cord injury is presented. The patient was treated with the placement of a thecoperitoneal shunt incorporating a low pressure valve. Response was excellent with restoration of neurological function and almost complete collapse of the cavity at one year follow up. The rationale of this form of treatment is discussed in the light of recent evidence concerning the pathogenesis of the condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Thecoperitoneal shunt for syringomyelia: report of three cases.

During 8 months, three consecutive cases of syringomyelia were treated by the placement of thecoperitoneal shunts. In the first two patients, the cord cavitation was idiopathic in one and thought to be related to spinal trauma in the other. In the third case, there was associated anomaly of the craniocervical junction of the Chiari I type. Surgery was followed by clinical improvement in all patients. Postoperative magnetic resonance images showed definite diminution of the syringomyelic cavity. The results of treatment seem to support the use of the technique as a primary treatment of syringomyelia associated with progressive myelopathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The symptomatic incompetent cervical intervertebral disc.

A series of 16 patients with symptoms such as pain in the neck, occiput, shoulder and arm; numbness in the hands; and/or difficulty in walking, is described. Neurological examination of the upper extremities disclosed signs of nerve roots dysfunction in 5 patients and long tract signs in 12, whereas examination of the lower extremities disclosed long tract signs in every patient. Positive contrast cervical myelograms suggested mild posterior bulging of one or two intervertebral discs in every patient, but computed tomographic myelograms invariably demonstrated a coincident narrow cervical spinal canal, thus revealing the true compressive potential of the aforementioned mild disc protrusion on the spinal cord. All patients underwent anterior cervical microdiscectomy of the offending disc or discs, which were found to be degenerated. No case of frank rupture of the anulus was identified. Response to treatment was graded as excellent in 12 patients, who had complete relief of symptoms, and good in 4 patients, who had mild residual complaints. This study suggests that incompetence (bulging) of a cervical intervertebral disc may acquire important clinical significance in the presence of a narrow spinal canal by compressing the spinal cord and the corresponding nerve roots. Surgical removal of the diseased disc may result in restoration of neurological function.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Destructive arthropathy in familial Mediterranean fever].

Mediterranean fever, an autosomal recessive hereditary disease usually affecting closely circumscribed populations, is already characterized in early life by recurrent bouts of fever accompanied by polyserositis. One feared complication is amyloidosis, while the other, which is less frequent and almost unknown in Central Europe, is chronic destructive arthropathy. This partial aspect of familial Mediterranean fever is illustrated by the case of an Armenian born in 1960. The value of a theoretically conceivable basic therapy with colchicine is considered. Colchicine has apparently produced good results in the early stages of destructive arthropathy, although the mechanism by which this occurs is not yet understood. The positive effect described is likewise not evident in all cases.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[4-year results following Insall anterior cruciate ligament-plasty].

From May 1984 until December 1987 56 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions were done in cases with single plane anteromedial instability, using the bone block iliotibial band transfer. The anterior distal part of the iliotibial tract with its osseous insertion from Gerdy's tubercule was used. The immediate fixation of the bone block by a screw or by threads to the tibia allows early motion of the knee, because no immobilization is necessary. There were 56 patients: 14 women, 42 men; 34 right, 22 left. About the same number (65) with more severe multiplane laxity had been treated by other methods for reconstruction or augmentation of the anterior cruciate ligament. The average follow-up is 25.06 (6-52) months for these patients (12.88). All patients had full extension of the involved knee. None had an effusion and only eight complained of occasional pain. At follow-up some laxity was detected by the anterior drawer test and Lachman test (20 degrees). The LYSHOLM Score was very high at the time of follow-up = 98.67 points.

Adolescent↗