A Postmortem Analysis of Embalmed Lungs, a Human Cadaver Study

OBJECTIVE: The human cadaveric study is vital to fully understanding lung pathologies and the prevalence of potentially cancerous neoplasms upon death in the general population. Developing an accurate knowledge of human respiratory neoplastic pathology is vital in furthering the field of respiratory medicine. This study aims to analyze a cohort of lung sets belonging to human cadavers for visible potentially pathogenic neoplasms and contrast this with epidemiological data available for representative populations. METHODS: Cadaveric lungs (n= 20 pairs; 38 individual lungs) were isolated, and gross observations were performed of the parietal surface of both lungs. These samples were part of a collective of over two years worth of cadaveric specimens from the Gross Anatomy laboratory at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, South Georgia. Each lung was grossly inspected for suspicious lesions. Lesions were analyzed for prevalence and recorded photographically. The following are the core actions this study performed: Criteria for lesions for the purpose of this study: Visible hyperpigmentation compared to surrounding external surface lung tissue Be at least 2 mm in diameter on at least one axis Flat or raised appearance contrasted with surrounding lung tissue. Photograph a compendium of each donor’s lungs from various approaches. Photos included a clear metric ruler for reference in a standardized approach. Statistical analysis for this cadaveric lung population contrasted with existing epidemiologic data will be performed. Tissue samples from representative lung lesions were sent to the Colquitt Regional Medical Center for processing. Histopathology slides were stained by hematoxylin and eosin stains. Slides were initially viewed by medical students, and a pathologist later confirmed the findings. RESULTS: A total of 20 cadavers were studied with an age range of (58) to (88) years. There were (12) males and (8) females, with a male-to-female ratio of (3:2). Gross observations from 2022 specimens were significantly diverse. Findings include metastatic calcific nodules on superficial surfaces, hemorrhagic pleural cavities, anthracotic streaks, and diffuse tissue texture changes compared to adjacent lobes. The most common histological findings were inflammatory (88.8%), obstructive lung disease, including emphysema (44.4%), pulmonary edema, and congestion (66.6%). Specific findings to certain samples included neoplastic adenocarcinoma, anthracosis, multinucleated giant cells, and potential fungal pathology. Individual lung samples from the 2022 cohort (n=16) were histologically observed and placed in respective categories with prevalence: Edematous and Congestive: 66.66% Inflammatory Processes (Neutrophilic or Lymphocytic): 88.88% Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD/Emphysematous/Chronic Bronchitis): 44.44% Restrictive Lung Disease (Pulmonary Fibrosis): 33.33% Anthracosis: 33.33% Autolyzed samples: 1 Metastatic lung cancer: 2 Primary lung cancer: 1 This is an ongoing study. Lung specimens from 2023 are currently being studied. CONCLUSIONS: Most lung specimens are well preserved in cadavers, providing opportunity for medical students to study lung histology and histopathology. Pathological findings in cadaveric lungs are common findings, either incidental or directly related to the cause of death. Inflammatory conditions in the form of pneumonia are the most frequent cause of death as a terminal complication, and our observations matched expected prevalences