title: The cadaveric perfusion and angiography as a teaching tool: imaging the intracranial vasculature in cadavers.
abstract: Background and Study Aim To enhance the visualization of the intracranial vasculature of cadavers under gross examination with a combination of imaging modalities. Material and Methods A total of 20 cadaver heads were used to test two different perfusion techniques. First, fixed cadaver heads were perfused with water; second, fresh cadavers were perfused with saline and 10% formalin. Subsequently, brains were removed and fixed. The compounds used were silicone rubber, silicone rubber mixed with powdered barium sulfate, and silicone rubber mixed with tantalum dioxide prepared by the first perfusion technique and gelatin mixed with liquid barium prepared with the second technique. Conventional X-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT), dynamic computed tomography (dCT), and postprocessing three-dimensional (3D) images were used to evaluate all the heads. Results Gelatinized barium was better visualized when compared with tantalum dioxide in conventional X-ray images. The blood vessels injected with either tantalum dioxide or gelatinized barium demonstrated a higher enhancement than the surrounding soft tissues with CT or dCT. The quality of the 3D reconstruction of the intracranial vasculature was significantly better in the CT images obtained from the gelatinized barium group. Conclusions Radiologic examinations of the heads injected with gelatinized barium facilitates the 3D understanding of cerebrovascular anatomy as an important tool for neuroanatomy training.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turkoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seckin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gurer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Kutluay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uluc
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pulfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Anıl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arat
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States ; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niemann
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
authors.forename: Mustafa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Baskaya
keywords: X-ray; angiography; barium sulfate; cadaver; computed tomography angiography; liquid barium; neuroanatomy; tantalum dioxide; three dimensional