Most common methods that directly show macro- or microscopic anatomy of the brain
usually require the removal of the organ from the neurocranium. However, the brain
can be revealed in situ by using proper sectioning techniques. Our aim was to both
improve the cryosectioning method, test its limits and create a high-resolution macro-anatomical
image series of a Beagle brain, which at the time of the study did not exist. A two-year-old
female Beagle has been scanned with CT and MRI ante and post mortem, then the arteries
of the head were filled with red resin. After freezing to -80°C, a neurocranium block
was created and was embedded into a water-gelatin mix. Using a special milling device
and a DSLR camera, 1112 consecutive RGB-color cryosections were made with a 100 μm
layer thickness and captured in high resolution (300 dpi, 24-bit color, and pixel
size was 19.5 x 19.5 μm). Image post-processing was done with Adobe Photoshop CS3
and Thermo Scientific Amira 6.0 softwares, and as a result of the proper alignment
and coregistration, visualization and comparing was possible with all the applied
imaging modalities (CT, MRI, cryosectioning) in any arbitrary plane. Surface models
from the arteries, veins, brain and skull were also generated after segmentation in
the same coordinate system, giving a unique opportunity for comparing the two-dimensional
and three-dimensional anatomy. This is the first study which focuses directly to this
high-definition multimodal visualization of the canine brain, and it provides the
most accurate results compared to previous cryosectioning studies, as using an improved
method, higher image quality, more detailed image, proper color fidelity and lower
artefact formation were achieved. Based on the methodology we described, it can serve
as a base for future multimodal (CT, MR, augmented- or virtual reality) imaging atlases
for medical, educational and scientific purposes.
