Technical note—stabilization of cadaveric corified and mummified skin thanks to prolonged temperature

Abstract

Microscopic study and interpretation of skin samples obtained from mummified/corified cadavers request the adoption of special laboratory techniques in order to avoid that the histological samples may detach from the slide during staining processes. We have assessed an experimental and extended drying of corified and mummified skin samples in order to evaluate an eventual improvement after staining procedures. Samples of skin undergoing different post-mortem putrefactive phenomena—from parchment-like to mummification—were collected from 16 corpses and divided in halves: one half was fixated in buffered formalin while the other half was previously treated with Sandison’s rehydrating solution. The so-obtained sections were subsequently dried for one night at 37 °C and stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin staining and Masson’s Trichrome staining according to Goldner. At microscope observation, 69% of the dyed sections stained with H&E and 53% of the sections stained with Masson’s Trichrome was lost during different steps of the coloring procedures. We then proceeded with a new cutting of the slides and decided to experimentally dry them for 5 days at a mean temperature of 37 °C: purpose of this procedure was to gradually remove the possible liquid component of the samples probably culpable of the detachment. With this modified procedure, all the sections resulted to be preserved in the following staining steps and showed, moreover, an improvement of the morphological structure, especially in those previously treated with Sandison’s rehydrating solution. In those cases where a histological examination is requested on skin samples collected from corified or mummified cadavers, this technique is highly recommended in order to obtain microscopic slide of high quality.