Rapid Technique for Imaging the Blood Vascular System Using Stereoangiography

Data on vascular anatomy traditionally have been derived from time-consuming gross dissection and histology, which has prevented the assembly of large sample sizes. Vascular injection of radiopaque medium (angiography) is a rapid technique, but, as typically performed, it has limitations (e.g., superimposition and poor subsequent dissectibility). We present a novel angiographic technique comprised of two elements: 1) a new, dissectible injection medium; and (2) stereoradiography. The injection medium consists of liquid barium (providing radiopacity) and latex (providing dissectibility). Domestic duck heads were the study system. The relative concentrations of barium and latex were varied, and the resulting radiographs were assayed for vessel radiopacity and the number of observable vessels. A wide range of barium percentages yielded excellent results, suggesting that preparation of the medium can be "eyeballed" for most applications, which enhances processing speed. The stereoradiographic element solved the superimposition problem, allowing stunning resolution of the spatial relationships of vessels to each other and to other tissues. Stereoangiography is a fast and easy technique that permits the acquisition of detailed anatomical data from many specimens, thereby enabling something rarely achieved: population-level anatomical studies.