A sebaceous cyst containing a coil of hair consisting of two hairs, each several inches in length / by Henry W. Stelwagon.

  • Stelwagon, Henry W. (Henry Weightman), 1853-1919.
Date:
[1885]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A sebaceous cyst containing a coil of hair consisting of two hairs, each several inches in length / by Henry W. Stelwagon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    grew somewhat larger and became slightly inflamed. On squeezing it, a cheesy substance was discharged. It then returned to its former condition, except that it was a trifle larger. It continued in a quiescent state for a few months, and then went through the same phases as before, becom¬ ing inflamed, enlarged, and on pressure discharging seba¬ ceous matter. Thus it continued, at longer or shorter in¬ tervals, for a period of eighteen months, giving but little trouble, except when inflamed, and even then the annoy¬ ance was trifling. At the end of this period the tumor was about as large as a medium-sized pea, and very little above the level of the skin. About this time the gentle¬ man shaved off his beard. The cyst immediately began to grow rapidly larger, and could be seen as an elevation with a small central depressed aperture, discharging at frequent intervals. Subsequently he introduced a pointed stick of nitrate of silver into the opening, and endeavored to cauter¬ ize it. Considerable inflammation ensued, and from a fourth to a half ounce of pus was discharged daily. The tumor was now about the size of a small marble, with con¬ siderable surrounding inflammation. After the inflamma¬ tion had subsided somewhat, and about six months after the shaving off of the beard, the cyst was excised by Dr. Ash- hurst, of the University. The sac was bound down to the parts, so that in the removal it was necessary to take away some of the surrounding tissues. The cyst was sub¬ sequently opened, and, in addition to small quantities of sebum and pus, was found to contain a coil of hair, appar¬ ently made up of one hair, eleven -or twelve inches in length. On lengthening it out for the purpose of obtaining measurement, the coil was found to consist of two hairs, one six inches in length and the other four inches and a half. The hairs were unattached. The history of the case from the beginning is that of a simple discharging sebaceous tumor, becoming at times inflamed by the accumulated sebum. The