Benefits from the use of cadavers in anatomical education are well described. Historically, human embryos and fetal cadavers were used in anatomy education to understand development and congenital malformations. Recently, three‐dimensional printed models produced from archival fetal specimens, and online repositories of images from archival collections of embryos and fetuses, have been used as an educational tool in human development courses. Given that the archival specimens were likely obtained prior to the era of informed consent, this raises questions about their appropriate and ethical use. Because some institutions in the United States retain archival collections of embryonic and fetal specimens that were once used as educational tools, their existence and utility require frequent reexamination against contemporary ethical frameworks to guide appropriate use or utilization. Four ethical rationales for uses of these collections are examined, including destruction, indefinite storage, use in research, and use in health professions education. Guidelines for the use of archival collections of human embryos and fetuses are presented. Indefinite storage and use in health professions education are supported, while use in research is also permitted, however, such use is limited and dependent on circumstance and purpose. The development of current digital repositories and three‐dimensionally printed models based on archival collections that were collected without informed consent, or those promoting commercial opportunity, are not supported. New embryonic and fetal donations obtained with informed consent should include reference to potential uses with new technology and virtual, genetic, or imaging applications.

PURPOSEDermatologic health disparities have been well documented in patients of color. Non‐white patients have higher rates of morbidity and mortality associated with dermatologic disease than their white counterparts. A lack of diversity in dermatologic medical education is among the factors that may contribute to this disparity. Traditionally, dermatologic education in in medical school and residency has been heavily biased toward white skin, if included in the curriculum at all. This bias, along with clinicians' unawareness of this educational lapse may lead to poor confidence in evaluating patients of color, lower recognition rates of dermatologic pathology in skin of color, and a lack of awareness that one should be examine the skin of patients of color, thus contributing to poorer outcomes in non‐white patients.METHODSIn order to address this lack of exposure to skin of color, we have developed a self‐efficacy questionnaire and an educational module on skin of color to allow physicians and medical students to reflect on their own diagnostic capabilities and be exposed to common dermatologic pathology on skin of color. The questionnaire gives physicians the opportunity to grade their ability to recognize dermatologic pathology across diverse skin tones. The module was presented to fourteen medical students from LSU‐SOM New Orleans. Their pre‐intervention self‐assessment of their competency in diagnosing dermatologic pathology in skin of color was compared to their post‐intervention competency with a paired t‐test.DISCUSSIONThe data suggests that increased exposure to pathology on brown (p=.0001) and black skin (p=.0011) (as defined by the Fitzpatrick Scale), results in greater confidence in diagnosing pathology in this population. In particular, participants' confidence in ability to diagnose eczematous lesions (p=.006), psoriatic lesions (p=.0032), melanoma (p=.0261) and basal cell carcinoma (p=.0028) was significantly increased after the educational module. The data presented here represents the preliminary steps of an ongoing study. More participants are needed to fully assess the effect of the intervention. Additionally, future studies will include a quiz as an objective measure of diagnostic capabilityThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

PurposeA great deal of time is spent in undergraduate medical education preparing students for death and also the importance of informed consent. Missing from these preparations are the differences students may feel when encountering the death of an elderly individual versus the death of an infant and how the different informed consent processes came to be. Purposeful incorporation of fetal specimens in at various time points throughout the first year may be able to help solve these problems simultaneously.MethodsThe Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans (LSUHSC‐NO) has in its possession a large repository of fetal specimens, many of which were collected prior to the era of IRB protocols, preventing informed consent from being secured for their use. These fetal specimens are used in anatomy education at LSUHSC‐NO annually. We identified appropriate time points throughout the first year of training to insert discussions of informed consent and to examine emotions coincident with dealing with fetal and neonatal death and how they might contrast to student emotions about their cadavers, i.e. adult death, as well as how these feelings evolve over the year. Thematic analyses of self‐reflections were used to assess differences in students emotions when confronting death. They will also be used to examine changes in student attitudes regarding death during the entire first year.ResultsUsing archival material as the centerpiece for principled discourse challenges students to contextualize the practice of medical ethics socially and historically, heightening awareness of their own cultural and social biases. This experience also provided an outlet for students to share their thoughts on the ethical principles that will guide their future practice and to share their emotional reactions to the fetal specimens. Preliminary results showed themes of anxiety and reverence predominating before students entered the adult cadaver lab while sadness, informed consent, and impropriety predominated student reflections before exposure to fetal specimens.ConclusionsProviding medical students with an example thought process allows students to begin developing their own methods of incorporating respectful pragmatism into their own careers. Incorporation of fetal collections and discussions of their origins enables undergraduate medical students to think critically and examine their own ethical mores in addition to mastering high volumes of content knowledge.Support or Funding InformationGold Humanism Honor SocietyThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

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In 1974, Waxman and Geschwind recognized that patients affected by temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) could develop a constellation of symptoms that affected their mood, cognition, personality and behavior. This syndrome was characterized by interictal hyper-religiosity or magical experiences, hypergraphia, aberrant sexuality (generally hyposexuality), viscosity or circumstantiality and “intensified mental life”, and was eponymously dubbed Geschwind Syndrome (GS). The diagnosis has remained controversial in the ensuing years. Our case adds to the growing body of literature of patients clinically afflicted with the Geschwind Syndrome in the absence of temporal lobe epilepsy.

This study examines diphenhydramine (DPH) use by analyzing data from the r/DPH subreddit. The objective is to enhance understanding of DPH use patterns, provide insights for prevention and intervention, and raise awareness among clinicians. Analysis of the subreddit revealed 19,004 authors contributing 233,028 posts between 2014 and 2022, with users primarily from the United States and Europe. Qualitative analysis explored motivations, experiences, and consequences of DPH use. This study sheds light on the experiences of recreational DPH users, highlighting the need for improved identification and treatment strategies. By utilizing platforms like Reddit, a broader spectrum of DPH misuse is captured, including chronic and moderate misuse often overlooked by traditional assessments.

Craniosynostosis is the premature fusion of one or more calvarial sutures. Craniosynostosis can present as part of a genetic syndrome, as in Apert or Crouzon Syndrome, or it may be an isolated finding in non‐syndromic patients. The premature closure of these sutures can lead to morphologic and physiologic anomalies. Synostotic patients present with craniofacial malformations, increased intracranial pressure and intracranial hypertension. These patients often present with anomalous vascular and osseous anatomy, specifically, large emissary veins and stenotic cranial foramina.CT scans were used to generate three‐dimensional models of the patients. The jugular foramen was manually modeled, using the intracranial foramen and the level of the odontoid process as anatomical landmarks. Each measurement was repeated three times to ensure consistency.This case series serves as a basis for continued research into the anomalous anatomy of synostotic patients. When compared to their normal counterparts, synostotic patients present with markedly asymmetric jugular foramina. A high degree of variability was observed between patients, and bilaterally within each patient. Large differences in shape and volume are noted between the right and left foramen. At this point, due to the small size of the study, inferences about the patient population at large cannot be made. However, some general similarities were observed.Our preliminary data show that in all subjects, the right jugular foramen was longer and wider than the left. It was noted that the right foramen has a more curved trajectory, moving in the posterior to anterior direction, while the left is relatively straight. This may be related to the left jugular foramen's apparent propensity to merge with the carotid canal.The observed anomalies likely contribute to the physiologic sequelae of craniosynostosis. We hypothesize that the right jugular foramen is consistently larger due to the backwards pulse pressure coming from the right atrium of the developing fetus. We propose that the timing of the pathophysiologic insult determines the character of the osseous anomaly. Measuring the surface area two‐dimensionally leads to an incomplete and potentially inaccurate representation of the jugular foramen in synostotic patients due to the irregularity of caliber throughout the jugular foramen's course. It is proposed that this osseous irregularity is in part due to diminished post‐natal remodeling. We propose that the most appropriate and rigorous method for examining the jugular foramen in synostotic patients is by obtaining the volume of the jugular foramen by three‐dimensional modeling.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

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