Volume 3

Descriptive catalogue of the pathological specimens contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

  • Royal College of Surgeons of England. Museum
Date:
1882-
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Descriptive catalogue of the pathological specimens contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    433/568 (page 413)
    3177. A large aneurism of the anterior part of the arch of the aorta immediately below the origin of the innominate artery. It has eroded the sternum, and protruded much forwards, so that one of the costal cartilages now lies in the sac, sur¬ rounded by coagulum. The cavity of the sac is completely filled by laminated clot. The rest of the whole arch is extremely diseased. From a labouring man, aged 43, who continued his work until 48 hours before death. Presented by John Gay, Esq., 1869. 3178. A section of the same aneurismal tumour, showing its effects upon the sternum, especially extensive absorption of the bone, whilst the costal cartilages are very little affected by the pressure. Presented by John Gay, Esq., 1869. 3179. The arch of an aorta, with the pulmonary artery, trachea, and other adjacent parts. An inch and a half from the aortic valves, and just beyond the reflection of the pericar¬ dium, the left and a part of the anterior and posterior walls of the aorta are dilated into a large flattened spheroidal aneurismal sac. The sac projects to the right upwards and backwards ; it has compressed and nearly closed the trunk and right branch of the pulmonary artery, the arteria in- nominata, the vena cava superior and right auricle, and has pushed the trachea backwards and to the left side. The sac has a spheroidal form ; its mouth is circular, abrupt, smoothly rounded, and extends from the reflection of the pericardium to the origin of the arteria innominata, of which the orifice is very narrow ; its walls are a line in thickness, and the arterial coats can be traced in their cut edges, thickened, indurated, and coarsely laminated. The distal part of the cavity of the sac is filled with firm masses of laminated coagulum. The parts around the aneurismal sac are thickened and consolidated ; the internal coat of the artery before and beyond the sac is half a line thick, hard, opaque white, coarsely wrinkled, and slightly tuberculated. The part of the aorta from which the sac proceeds is gene¬ rally dilated in a slight degree, but immediately beyond it regains an ordinary size. Hunterian.