MAPPING OF BOVINE PERICARDIUM - PHYSICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC TESTS

Background and aims of the study: This study was performed to identify the physical and histopathologic characteristics of different section s of glutaraldehyde-tanned bovine pericardium, Methods: Ten pericardia l sacs were obtained from animals aged from 18 to 36 months. Physical tests included shrinkage and mechanical resistance (rupture, elongatio n, tenacity index). Collagen and elastic fibers were evaluated in Gomo ri's trichrome-stained sections, hematoxylin and eosin, by PAS and Ver hoeff's method. Studied areas were proximal to the great arteries, and the fight atrial, right ventricular, left ventricular and left atrial regions. Results and Conclusions: Results showed that bovine pericard ium does not have enough regional differences to identify any single r egion for bioprosthesis manufacture. However, histopathology showed be tter preservation of collagen and elastic fibers in the right-ventricu lar region, implying that this area is more adequate as bioprosthetic material.