İki Farklı Tespit Yönteminin Akciğer Morfolojisine Etkilerinin Karşılaştırılması: Deneysel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Objective: Enlargement of the alveoli is considered to be the most important parameter to assess the degree of emphysema and expansion. Alveolar enlargement is primarily defined by morphological criteria. Lung morphology can be of considerable forensic interest and it may contribute to the differentiation of drowning from other types of asphyxiation. Level of alveolar expansion is critical to differentiate between stillborn infants and those born alive but died shortly after birth. A detailed morphological analysis on the state of lung expansion may be interfered by the collapse of the lung, which usually occurs after opening the thoracic cage at autopsy resulting in loss of negative pleural pressure. Material and Methods: The degree of alveolar expansion and distortion of alveolar shape were analyzed morphometrically on samples of rat lungs which were fixed and dissected by different methods. This study comprised three groups including the control group, with 10 rats in each group. Some shape descriptors for the alveoli were measured using an image processing and analysis algorithm. Results: The median alveolar area was 0.062 mm2 in the control group, 0.10 mm2 in the drowning group, and 0.088 mm2 in the in situ fixed group, respectively. In this experimental study, when fixation was completed before dissection, the morphometric measurements regarding the alveolar shape descriptors, especially in the alveolar area, major-minor alveolar axis and circularity variables were significantly different between groups (p< 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that in situ fixation of the lungs may provide important data in selected cases in terms of diagnosis. © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri.