Cases of cysticerci in the posterior chamber of the human eye, with remarks / by S. F. Haven, Jr. ; read before the Suffolk District Medical Society, Oct. 31, 1857.

  • Haven, Samuel Foster, 1831-1862.
Date:
[1858?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of cysticerci in the posterior chamber of the human eye, with remarks / by S. F. Haven, Jr. ; read before the Suffolk District Medical Society, Oct. 31, 1857. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    the bodv stood at some distance from the retina, was proved from the fact* that it could be distinctly seen without a concave glass at a greater distance than it was possible to see the retina. In or- der to obtain a general view of this body, its inverted image was examined.* It now appeared as a perfectly round greenish blad- der, of a diameter nearly four times that of the entrance to the optic nerve, and was firmly seated on the retina. The neighbor- ing parts of the retina seemed normal. From them some fine- pointed vessels elevated themselves upon the sides of the body, though whether they ran into the walls themselves, or into a transparent membrane covering the bladder, was then uncer- tain. In the middle of the anterior wall a white knob-like ap- pendix could be seen, which manifested itself both by its greater opacity and by its color. This was not stationary, but changed its position frequently, and at the same time, with the eye in a perfect state of rest, cup-like depressions in the walls of the bladder could be seen to form and disappear. Dr. Graefe tried in vain to make out different parts of the head, and to discover a neck-piece. The thing seemed, as it were, veiled, which strengthened him in the belief of an enveloping membrane. Three weeks later, the bladder had increased about one third in diameter. The inner border had now reached the outer edge of the optic nerve, on which latter the normal distribution of ves- sels could be seen. The knob-like appendix or head was no longer in the centre, but close under the upper edge of the bladder, and, as it were, in the middle of a second small bladder which had grown out from the larger one. The fact that at this point the ophthalmoscopic view was much clearer, and that there was a ces- sation of vessels, convinced Dr. Graefe that there was an envelop- ing membrane which was here broken through by the further growth of the bladder-like projection. By this time not only were bunches (sucking-cups) on the side of the head to be seen, but also the previously concealed neck-piece, which was now extended and now drawn in, thus allowing the head, by a series of trunk-like motions, a great variety of positions. The patient's sight was much diminished, only a faint perception of light downward and outward remaining. Ten weeks after the first observation, the original bladder had not greatly increased, but had lost its greenish appearance, and was more transparent. The vessels on it had mostly either en- tirely disappeared, or were remaining merely as faint lines. On the other hand, the second bladder had so enlarged as nearly to * As (he terms inverted and uninverled images may not he familiar to all, 1 would say that a simple mirror, with or without a conrave lens, gives an uninverled im;ige. With this, however, only a portion of the bottom of the eye ran he seen at once. A convex lens held before the mir- ror gives an inverted image, which is much smaller than the other, and which allows a proportion- ately greater extent of surface to be seen. The inverted image is better for obtaining a general view of the bottom of the eye, and the uninverled is more convenient for examining in detail.