Post-mortem ultrasound study of coronary circulation on ex-situ hearts.

Sudden cardiac death is a leading cause of death in the 40-65 age group in industrialized countries. In approximately 70-80% of cases, it is attributable to atherosclerotic degeneration of the coronary circulation. This experimental study aims to evaluate the suitability of ultrasound for the morpho-functional characterization of the coronary circulation in ex situ hearts. The coronaries of six human hearts were cannulated with a vascular catheter, and an aqueous contrast medium was injected using an electric pump. The cannulated vessel underwent ultrasound scanning (US) for both morphological and functional study using US and color Doppler. Subsequently, a cardiopathological examination of each heart was performed. US and color Doppler allowed the characterization of the coronary vessels, the morphology of atherosclerotic plaques, the degree of vascular stenosis, and related dysfunctional, reduced or turbulent flow. Subsequent cardio-pathological examination confirmed the US findings. Preliminary results indicate coronary US as a promising diagnostic technique in cardio-pathology, as a preliminary screening test for subsequent targeted investigations, since it enables the pathologist to assess the dysfunctional implications of atherosclerotic disease on coronary flow. Future perspectives include extending the studied sample and comparing post-mortem US with other techniques commonly used for the study of coronary pathology.