MRI of thiel-embalmed human cadavers

Purpose To explain the observed considerable loss of signal and contrast when Thiel‐embalmed human cadavers are imaged using clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, especially those based on spin‐echo MRI. Materials and Methods All cadavers were imaged with a medical 1.5T scanner using standard MRI sequences. Dual angle B1+ magnitude mapping and electromagnetic (EM) simulations that characterize the radiofrequency (RF) penetration in a male human body model (HBM) were carried out for a range of tissue conductivities. Results The EM simulations show that RF penetration issues begin to affect the image quality for values of electrical conductivity as low as 2.6 S/m. The electrical conductivity values of the embalming fluids were found to be within the range of 5–10.6 S/m, thus strongly suggesting that the observed loss in signal and contrast is due to diminished RF penetration inside the cadavers. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that gradient‐echo (GRE)‐based MRI sequences perform better than spin‐echo (SE)‐based sequences, as they are less susceptible to imperfections in the flip angle that are inevitably present when imaging Thiel cadavers. Conclusion: The diminished signal and contrast observed when imaging Thiel‐embalmed human cadavers may be attributed to the high conductivity of the embalming liquids. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:576–583. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.