Description
Clinical History (pre access to CT and MRI imaging)
This 51-year old woman had surgery for breast carcinoma 2 years before presentation. Her main complaint was left-sided ataxia for the 2 weeks prior, and this had been preceded by a fainting attack followed by left-sided weakness. Examination revealed a left spastic paresis. There was doubt as to the diagnosis because the rapidity of onset suggested a vascular lesion. She was discharged from hospital but six weeks after her initial presentation she was re-admitted with left-sided fitting. Lumber puncture and re-examination were not informative. EEG showed a right anterior temporal abnormality. Angiography confirmed the presence of a large space-occupying lesion in the right cerebrum. On the ward, there was a steady deterioration of the patient's condition, and ultimately death.
Pathology
The specimen is the cerebrum sliced horizontally. On the superior view, the right hemisphere is clearly enlarged, particularly in the parietal region where the gyrae are widened and 3 cystic tumors are evident. The largest, 5 cm in diameter, is in the right parietal region. A smaller tumor, 2 x 1.5 cm in diameter, is seen close to the posterior margin of the largest tumor. A third one, 1.5 cm in diameter, is present in the left parietal region. The tumors have mainly involved white matter. The wall of each lesion is composed of shaggy friable greyish tissue. At necropsy, there was ulceration of the largest tumor into the right lateral ventricle (seen more clearly when the inferior surface is examined). Sub-falcine herniation was also seen, as is displacement of the basal ganglia and internal capsule. Histological examination revealed metastatic carcinoma in the viable areas. Other metastases were found in the liver and bone. Histology of a liver metastasis was consistent with origin from a primary carcinoma of breast.
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.
