MR histological correlation: A method for cutting specimens along the imaging plane in animal or ex vivo experiments

✍ Scribed by Olivier Rouvière; Carol Reynolds; Thomas Hulshizer; Phillip Rossman; Yuan Le; Joel P. Felmlee; Richard L. Ehman

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 373 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.20468

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose

To assess a method aimed at cutting histological specimens along the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging plane.

Material and Methods

The method is performed in two steps: the imaging plane (defined by three acrylic paint markers) is made horizontal under MR guidance by using a mobile platform that can be rotated in three directions (PlaneFinder device [PFD]); then, the specimen is embedded in wax and cut horizontally. Three‐dimensional images parallel to the markers' plane were obtained on 31 pork muscles containing a central hole with a pyramidal shape, with a technique of reference (RT images) and with PFD (PF images), before and after fixation. The last 17 fixed specimens were cut in the markers' plane (tissue section [TS] images). The central hole area (CHA) in the markers' plane was used to compare RT, PF, and TS images. Using a workstation, PF images were rotated and translated to estimate the shift along each direction that could explain the entire CHA difference between RT, PF, and TS images (maximum error, worst‐case scenario).

Results

Excellent correlation was found between RT and PF images (r = 0.989, slope = 1.0175), PF and TS images (r = 0.991, slope = 1.0058), and RT images on fresh specimens and TS images (r = 0.979, slope = 1.0732). For each step, the maximum angle error was ≤ 3° in 88–95% of the specimens.

Conclusion

Our methodology can be used to cut specimens along the imaging plane with high accuracy. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.