Cardiovascular cavities cast in silicone rubber as an adjunct to post-mortem examination of the heart

Abstract

We used silicone rubber as a material for making post-mortem casts of cavities in 21 human hearts, 16 of them congenitally malformed, 13 after surgical reconstruction (Fontan and Norwood procedures) and 4 after reconstruction had been performed posts mortem for study purposes. The organs were either fresh, or had been perfusion fixed with formalin prior to casting. When suitable silicone rubber and catalyst were used, we found that casts allowed a very clear view of chamber morphology, and, where surgery had been performed, of any vascular constriction or distortion. We made casts of the aortic sinus and coronary arteries in 3 adult hearts, demonstrating the location and extent of indentation due to atheromatous deposits. The resilience and non-adhesiveness of the silicone rubber allowed casts to be extracted without recourse to corrosion. The surrounding tissues, with the exception of trapped trabeculations and valve structures, were then available for conventional pathological examination. We propose that the relatively simple technique has important applications, not practicable using earlier casting materials, for the study of cardiovascular morphology, and for post-mortem evaluation of stenosed or surgically reconstructed vessels.