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Deplastination: Preservation of Histological Structures and its Anticipated Role in the Field of Histopathology

Deplastination is the process of reversing plastination such that a plastinated specimen can be reverted to its raw nature. This would enable its use in the field of histopathology. The present study aims to ascertain if deplastinates can be used for histopathological studies after a time period. Tissue samples were taken from patients undergoing maxillofacial surgeries for oral carcinomas after obtaining written informed consent. The 12 specimens obtained were divided into two groups. One set of tissues was processed for paraffin embedding after 10% formalin fixation. The other set was plastinated by S10 silicon plastination. After 3 months, the plastinates were deplastinated using sodium methoxide and processed for routine hematoxylin and eosin staining, similar to the formalin fixed specimens. The slides were quantitatively assessed on parameters like tissue architecture, staining property, and intracellular structure. In addition, the slides were qualitatively evaluated by a pathologist who was blinded to the mode of preservation to see if identification of pathological features was possible on a deplastinated slide. The formalin preserved specimens and deplastinated tissue slides compared closely in all three parameters tested with the need to identify the endpoint of deplastination. Qualitatively, deplastination did not hamper identification of tissue pathology. Deplastination increases the scope of a stored plastinate by allowing histological studies in the future without the need for any preservatives or special storage equipment. It preserves structure and maintains tissue pathology. An improved method of ensuring the endpoint of deplastination needs to be identified. Clin. Anat. 32:108–112, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.