Modified Giacomini Method: resistant brains for anatomical studies

The use of natural anatomical specimens is the favorite method for studying human anatomy, but educational institutions face difficulties in acquiring and renewing their collections, especially brains, which are fragile. In this sense, it is essential to develop anatomical techniques that increase the useful life of the brains. This study conducted a survey of educational institutions in Brazil by means of a questionnaire to members of the Brazilian Society of Anatomy regarding the brain preservation techniques used and, from this, developed an anatomical technique for preserving brains based on glycerinization recommended by Giacomini. Thirty brains from the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) were used and divided into 4 groups: fixation in 10% formaldehyde, Giacomini Method, modified Giacomini Method with preservation in 10% formaldehyde and modified Giacomini Method with preservation in 95% ethanol. 60.9% of the members who responded to the questionnaire use 10% formaldehyde and 45.3% prefer preservation in 10% formaldehyde, while 23.4% use glycerin and 40.6% prefer glycerin. Among the advantages, the method of fixation should preserve the morphological characteristics (76.6%), maintain light color (51.6%) and promote resistance (48.4%) and durability (40.6%). The modified Giacomini Method with preservation in 10% formaldehyde preserved the anatomical and histological characteristics of the brains, with resistance to both handling and compression being observed, which increases the durability of the pieces. The modified Giacomini Method with preservation in 95% ethanol excluded the undesirable characteristics of formaldehyde, odor and toxicity, but the pieces presented a slightly darker color and retraction in the long term.