Search

Demonstration of gross lesions for educational purposes is often based on wet specimens, preserved in formalin, that emit hazardous formaldehyde vapors. This study is a pioneering attempt to plastinate pathological lesions in animal tissues using the economical Thermocol instead of costly resins, viz. silicon, epoxy and polypropylene. Six bovine heart samples, showing pathological lesions, were fixed with 5% formol saline, followed by dehydration in pure acetone, and impregnation with 15% Thermocol in organic solvent. Finally, curing of specimens was undertaken sing Touchwood. Three gross lesions of the heart, viz. myocardial cyst, fibrinous pericarditis and endocardial/ epicardial hemorrhages, were plastinated in the present study. The myocardial cyst could be fixed in seven days; the fibrinous pericarditis could be fixed in 10 days, whereas hemorrhages required 15 days for fixation. The heart samples were impregnated by 44-48 days. The color of the lesions became darker and prominent in the plastinated hearts. There was no change in the texture of the tissues due to plastination, whereas the consistency of the heart became harder compared to fresh heart tissue. There was an significant reduction in mean mass (42.95%) and mean volume (40%) in the plastinated specimens. The Thermocol plastinated specimens were non-toxic, dry, easy to handle, odourless and durable, without the disadvantages of traditional formaldehyde preservation., Prikaz makroskopskih lezija tkiva u nastavne svrhe najčešće se temelji na mokrim preparatima čuvanim u formalinu koji je, zbog isparavanja formaldehida, opasan za zdravlje. Ovo je istraživanje pionirski pokušaj plastinacije atoloških lezija tkiva u životinja upotrebom ekonomičnog termokola umjesto skupe smole, odnosno silikona, epoksidne smole i polipropilena. Šest srca goveda, sa znakovima patološke lezije, fiksirano je u 5 %-tnoj otopini formola, nakon čega je uslijedila dehidracija čistim acetonom i impregnacija 15 %-tnim termokolom u organskom otapalu. Na kraju je provedeno učvršćivanje i sušenje preparata. Plastinirane su tri makroskopske srčane lezije: cista miokarda, fibrinozni perikarditis i endokardijalna/epikardijalna hemoragija. Cista miokarda može se fiksirati za 7 dana, fibrinozni perikarditis za 10 dana, dok hemoragija zahtijeva 15 dana fiksacije. Uzorci srca impregnirani su 44 do 48 dana. Lezije su potamnjele i postale istaknutije na plastiniranim srčanim organima. U teksturi tkiva nije bilo promjene, dok je konzistencija srca postala tvrđa u usporedbi sa svježim srčanim tkivom. U plastiniranih preparate utvrđeno je smanjenje prosječne mase od 42,95 % i prosječnog volumena od 40 %. Termokol plastinacija preparate nije opasna za zdravlje ljudi, suha je i jednostavna metoda, bez mirisa, trajna i bez nedostataka koje ima tradicionalna metoda prepariranja organa pomoću formaldehida.