MILD EMPHYSEMA - A NOVEL METHOD USING FORMALIN-FIXED LUNGS FOR COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY AND PATHOLOGICAL ANALYSES

We evaluated a navel method of computed tomography (CT) analysis using formalin-fixed lungs of autopsy cases with mild emphysema. Eight form alin-inflated lungs (FILs) obtained at autopsy were examined using CT after draining off the formalin and air inflation with an air pump, an d subjected to pathological study including pathological scoring of em physema and microscopic image analysis (MIA). Satisfactory CT examinat ion was carried out within 5 h of lung fixation. The mean alveolar are a determined by MIA correlated highly with the lung volume (r=O.845) a nd CT score (r=0.722). This method is simple compared with conventiona l polyethylene glycol fixation for CT and enables CT examination of re sected lungs without anxiety about biohazards.