Biomedical subjects

K Petropoulou

Publications and source records attributed to K Petropoulou.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Reliability of Greek version Gross Motor Function Classification System.

The Gross Motor Function Classification System for Cerebral Palsy (GMFCS), a reliable and valid system, has been widely utilized for objective classification of the patterns of motor disability in children with cerebral palsy. The objective of this study was to produce a Greek version of the instrument, with the same construct as the original one and to investigate the reliability of application of the Greek version GMFCS. Translation and back translation was made by two of the authors, one of whom did not know the original English text. The final translation was fixed by consensus. Two physicians were trained and given practice in the use of the GMFCS and its application to clinical documentation. The raters classified children with cerebral palsy according to GMFCS - Greek version. The reliability was assessed with the weighted kappa statistic. The sample consisted of 47 boys and 47 girls, mean age 5.4 years. The overall weighted Kappa was 0.80 (95% CI=0.67-0.94). Weighted Kappa for level I was 0.91 (95% CI=0.74-1.09), for level II, 0.78 (95% CI=0.62-0.95), for level III, 0.85 (95% CI=0.68-1.02), for level IV, 0.85 (95% CI=0.67-1.03) and for level V, 0.84 (95% CI=0.66-1.03). The inter-rater reliability was lowest at level II. Percent agreement was 75%. Results of this study suggest that GMFCS - Greek version can be used reliably to classify patients with CP from clinical documentation. These results further support use of the GMFCS in clinical settings and for research. Investigation is needed to further assess the reliability and to determine the validity of the Greek version of the GMFCS.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2001

Investigation of vesicoureteral reflux with colour Doppler sonography in adult patients with spinal cord injury.

The aim of the study was to evaluate prospectively the performances of colour Doppler sonography for detection of vesicoureteral reflux in adult patients with neurogenic bladder due to spinal cord injury. One hundred eighty-seven adult patients who had developed neurogenic bladder due to spinal cord injury underwent retrograde cystography and sonographic evaluation by B-mode and colour flow Doppler sonography (CFDS). Results of both examinations were analyzed independently by two radiologists. Representative images of the sonographic evaluations were recorded on videotape and CD-Rom. CFDS detected reflux in 20 ureters while retrograde cystography revealed vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in 25 ureters of a total of 374 ureters, which were examined by both methods. Sonography detected all cases of grades IV and V of reflux, 7 of 8 (87.5%) of grade III, 5 of 6 (83.3%) of grade II, and 4 of 7 (57.14%) of grade I. There were 6 false-positive and 5 false-negative findings with Doppler examination compared with retrograde cystography. Therefore, sensitivity and specificity of sonographic examination were 80 and 98.28%, respectively, with a positive predictive value of 76.92%. Colour flow Doppler sonography can play an important role in detection of VUR in spinally injured adult patients with neurogenic bladder and can be an effective imaging tool for follow-up.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Lipids of developing dental plaque in caries-resistant and caries-susceptible adult people.

Dental plaque maturation in both caries-resistant (CR) and caries-susceptible (CS) subjects was accompanied by a decrease in total lipid content but was more pronounced with CR subjects; their plaque after 72 h contained 44.6 per cent less lipids than that of CS. At each stage of maturation, differences were also found in the proportion of lipid classes. In 24 h-plaque, the lipids of CR-group, although containing amounts of glycolipids and phospholipids similar to those of CS, contained 1.6 times less neutral lipids. The 48 h-plaque of CS subjects showed 2.5 times more neutral lipids, 1.2 times more phospholipids and 1.4 times less glycolipids. The 72 h-CR plaque contained 1.9 times less neutral lipids, 1.6 times more glycolipids and 1.3 times more phospholipids than CS-plaque. Among the neutral lipids in both groups, the changes with maturation were associated with decrease in free fatty acids and increase in triglycerides, cholesterol and cholesteryl esters. Phospholipids of CR-plaque contained less phosphatidylcholine and more phosphatidylethanolamine than CS-plaque. With plaque maturation both groups showed decreases in the glycolipids characteristic of saliva and an increase in the content of bacterial type of glycolipids. Plaque maturation is evidently accompanied by dynamic changes in lipids reflecting a shift from salivary to bacterial contribution.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Lipid composition of human labial salivary gland secretions.

Extraction of the dialysed and lyophilized labial saliva with chloroform/methanol yielded 423.8 +/- 73.0 micrograms of lipids/ml of saliva, a level 4-5 times higher than in the major salivary glands. Of the total lipids, 32.4 per cent were represented by neutral lipids, 44.6 per cent by glycolipids and 23.0 per cent by phospholipids. Neutral lipids had a high content of free fatty acids (43.8 per cent), cholesteryl esters (26.9 per cent) and triglycerides (15.4 per cent). The glycolipids consisted mainly of neutral (74.6 per cent) and sulphated (25.4 per cent) glyceroglucolipids, whereas phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylserine accounted for 54.7 per cent of the total phospholipids.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

CT and MRI of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma: unusual biologic behavior.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to present three cases of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) with unusual radiographic, clinical, and pathologic aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The imaging findings in three patients with proven PXA were reviewed and correlated with clinical information and review of pathologic material. Two females and one male were studied, ranging in age from 8 to 42 years old. All patients underwent MRI with gadolinium (0.1 mmol/kg). Two of the patients had serial MR studies. CT scans with and without contrast agent were also available for two patients. The medical records for all three patients were reviewed. Radiographic findings were correlated with pathologic material obtained at surgery. RESULTS: Seizure disorder was the initial presentation in two patients. The third patient presented with a lytic lesion of the calvarium. Radiographic features showed rapid progression of disease over 3 months in one patient. Rapid tumor recurrence (within 7 months) without malignant transformation was proven in another patient. While typical pathological features of PXA were evident in two cases, a mixed tumor consisting of PXA and other tissue components was identified in the third case. CONCLUSION: Although generally regarded as a benign lesion in the literature, PXA has potential for aggressive behavior. Rapid tumor recurrence can occur without malignant transformation. Radiographic features may evolve over a short period of time. Dura and bony calvarium are not necessarily respected. PXA can occur as a separate entity or as a tumor of mixed components.

Adolescent↗