Characterization of acrylic polyamide plastic embolization particles in vitro and in human tissue sections by light microscopy, infrared microspectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis

Abstract

Vascular embolization is a well-established practice for the treatment of tumors and vascular lesions. Rounded beads (microspheres) of various materials (collagen, dextran and trisacryl-polymer-gelatin) were developed to solve problems encountered with earlier versions of embolic material. We performed histochemistry, Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis on two uterine and one hepatic specimen with unidentified intravascular foreign material, and examined a reference embolization product for comparison. The hematoxylin and eosin stained tissue sections showed multiple foci with unidentified intravascular foreign material and fibrous obliteration of vessel lumens. Only one case had a clinical history of previous embolization but without specifying the material used. One case was submitted for identification of a 'parasite'. The material stained positively with Sirius red and mucicarmine, variably with Masson's trichrome stain and Movat pentachrome, and did not stain centrally with periodic acid Schiff with diastase. Infrared spectrophotometric analysis of the material from all three cases demonstrated the spectrum of acrylic polyamide plastic. A control sample of EmboGoldt exhibited infrared microspectroscopic spectra similar to the three tissue specimens. Analysis by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis demonstrated some differences in elemental composition between the tissue sections and the selected reference material. To our knowledge, this is the first report of infrared spectrophotometric analysis with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis of an acrylic polyamide plastic embolization product both in vitro and in human histologic tissue sections. In cases lacking appropriate clinical information, identification by these methods and/or a panel of special stains may assist pathologists unfamiliar with this material's light microscopic appearance.

Clinical, Epidemiologic, Histopathologic and Molecular Features of an Unexplained Dermopathy

“…At AFIP, H&E-stained sections were evaluated by light microscopy by two dermatopathologists who were blinded to the clinical diagnosis of the cases and under polarized light by a pathologist with experience in the evaluation of unidentified materials in tissue sections. Tissue sections containing unidentified material were further analyzed by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDXA) to determine the material's elemental composition and by infrared spectroscopy (IR) to identify molecular characteristics [14], [15]. The measured infrared spectra were compared with those of authentic samples such as cotton gauze (for cellulose), and to spectra stored in a digital spectral library.…”

“…Submitted materials were photographed, attached to aluminized slides by drying, crushing or by using conducting adhesive tabs (Polysciences Inc., Warrington, PA) and then analyzed by SEM/EDXA and IR [14], [15].…”

Wound Fragments from Cutaneous Sites of U.S. Military Personnel Deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom: Clinical Aspects and Pathologic Characterizations

“…A Hitachi model S‐3500N scanning electron microscope (Hitachi Instruments, Inc., San Jose, CA) equipped with a ThermoNoran (ThermoNoran, Madison, WI) SEM‐EDXA accessory was used to determine the elemental composition of the specimens. The SEM‐EDXA method employed was otherwise similar to that previously described 1 . This method routinely allows the identification of elements with atomic numbers as low as that of carbon on the basis of their characteristic X‐ray energies.…”

Deposition of calcium salts in a case of pulmonary zygomycosis: histopathologic and chemical findings

“…IR is a technique by which the molecular characteristics of microscopic structures of interest can be compared to spectra obtained from authentic materials contained in spectral reference libraries. The methods used have been previously published [6,7].…”