Description
Clinical History
The patient was an 80-year old man who suddenly lost consciousness. On examination there was a right gaze palsy, a left hemiplegia and right hemiparesis.
Pathology
The specimens are coronal sections of the brain at the level of the mammillary bodies (specimen in which the cut surface of the brainstem where the cerebral peduncles and substantia nigra are also visible), and more anteriorly where part of both temporal lobes are included. A massive blood clot has replaced the cerebral tissue in the region of the left basal ganglia and internal capsule. The hemorrhage has originated in this area and has ruptured into the left lateral ventricle, and its temporal horn, destroying the walls of the left lateral ventricle and extending into adjacent brain tissue. The right lateral ventricle is also filled with blood, but its walls are intact. The blood clot forms a space-occupying lesion, which has expanded the left cerebral hemisphere, causing a shift of the mid-line structures to the right. There is subfalcine herniation of the left cingulate gyrus under the falx cerebri (the latter has been removed).
Note
Intra-cerebral hemorrhages of this type are usually a complication of systemic hypertension. The hemorrhage occurs due to rupture of a micro-aneurism of a branch of the striate arteries, which arise from the middle cerebral artery and supply the basal ganglia.
Advantages
- Anatomically accurate and identical to real specimen
- No ethical issues - not real human body parts
- Reasonably priced
- Available within a short lead time
- Reproducible, several identical prints can be used as a classroom set
- Can be produced in different sizes to cater for the needs of the teacher
Human Cadavers
- Access to cadavers can be problematic. Many countries cannot access cadavers for cultural and religious reasons
- Cadavers cost a lot money
- High cost for establishing your own plastination suite
- Wet specimens cannot be used in uncertified labs
- Dissection of cadavers is a lot of staff time and that is a cost
- Storage of cadaver material needs special refrigeration etc. which has coast
- If you want another specimen you have to start all over again
Plastinates
- Costs
- Ethical issues
- Timeframe for plastination process
- Many countries do not allow their importation
- One of a kind
Superior 3D print results compared with conventional methods
- Vibrant color offering with 10 million colors
- UV-curable inkjet printing
- High quality 3D printing that can create products that are delicate, extremely precise and incredibly realistic
Clear Support Material
- To avoid breakage of fragile, thin, and delicate arteries, veins or vessels, a clear support material is printed on such spots. This makes the models robust and can be handled by students easily.
