LABORATORY OF MYOPATHOLOGY - CLINICAl SERVICES
Muscle biopsy is still important in the diagnosis of hereditary muscle diseases, such as dystrophinopathies, various subtypes of muscular dystrophies, congenital myopathies, congenital muscular dystrophies, metabolic myopathies and of acquired muscle diseases such as inflammatory myopathies.
The Laboratory of Myopathology “Panagiota Manta” was originally founded in 1971 and owes its name to Professor P. Manta (5/10/1945-5/4/2013), who organized it in a way that it became the first fully equipped laboratory for routine and investigative work in neuromuscular diseases in Greece. It receives around 100 muscle biopsies per year from hospitals and clinics all over Greece including pediatric hospitals.
After more than four decades of ongoing work, it functions as the national referral centre for muscle diseases and continues to be the leading Academic Laboratory of Myopathology in our country. The Laboratory of Myopathology works in close collaboration with the outpatient clinic for acquired and hereditary muscle diseases.
Biopsies are obtained by open technique under local anesthesia and, only rarely, under general anesthesia in pediatric patients. Samples are frozen in cryovials in liquid nitrogen as soon as possible and stores at -40o. A separate small sample is prepared for electron microscopy. Histological, histochemical and immunohistochemistry are routinely used on biopsies. In selected cases wetern blot technique for the study of muscle proteins and electron microscopy techniques are used.
Muscle biopsy interpretation is made by consultant neurologists/mycologists with expertise in neuromuscular disorders. As an integrating part of the Myopathology Laboratory, an outpatient clinic for hereditary and acquired muscle diseases is offered providing medical evaluation, diagnostic work-up (including EMG studies at the Neurophysiology Unit of the Hospital and muscular MRI studies at the Medical Imaging Unit) and therapeutic strategies.
HEAD OF THE LABORATORY OF MYOPATHOLOGY:
Evangelia Kararizou, Associate Professor of Neurology
CONSULTANT NEUROLOGISTS:
George Papadimas, Neurologist expert in rare neuromuscular disorders
Constantinos Papadopoulos, Neurologist expert in rare neuromuscular disorders
TECHNICIAN:
Evangelia Mastoroglou
COMMUNICATION
(+30) 210 7289134 (Technician)
(+30) 210 8289152
George Papadimas
gkpapad@yahoo.gr
Constantinos Papadopoulos
constantinospapadopoulos@yahoo.com