Cystic tumours of the testicle / by Frederick S. Eve.

  • Eve, Frederick Samuel, Sir, 1853-1916.
Date:
[1887]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cystic tumours of the testicle / by Frederick S. Eve. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    to be subsequently alluded to. The new formation of tubular spaces and cysts lined with small spheroidal epithelium was espe- cially obvious in Mr. Hutchinson's case of cystic sarcoma (see Table). But I am entirely in doubt as to the probable mode of origin of this tumour, as it contained no columnar epithelium, and there was no trace of the body of the testicle, whereas the epididymis was well developed. This specimen I had the oppor- tunity of examining when fresh. Virchow speaks of sprouts of epithelium springing from the tubules in a case of cystic fibroma, and considers them evidence of epithelial new formation. Occasionally, fibrous intracystic growths exist. And I have seen microscopic papillary ingrowths of epithelium. The minute structure of the stroma of the cystic fibromata has some peculiarities of interest. The stroma of the denser forms is composed chiefly of interlacing fasciculi of coarse fibrous tissue; in parts it may be softer, looser, wavy, and reticulated, or studded occasionally with patches of myxomatous tissue. In many specimens are fasciculi of spindle-cells, which in some instances may be in process of development to fibrous tissue. But in others in which these cells persist, form well-marked bundles, and do not show any tendency to develop into fibrous tissue, there are good grounds for believing that the tissue is plain muscle-fibre. In the Hunterian specimen No. 4220, in which the fibrous stroma was exceedingly dense and well developed, I noticed such bundles. It may here be mentioned that Malassez notes the presence of unstriped muscle in a specimen of cystic myxoma, and Lagrange in a mixed tumour in part cancerous. Mr. R. W. Parker's case of congenital cystic myxoma is remarkable for the existence of bundles of unstriped muscle around the tubules. The occurrence of striped muscle in tumours of the testicle will be adverted to in speaking of the cystic sarcomata. The minute structure of the cartilage presents some points of interest. In many instances it has characters intermediate between those of hyaline and fibro-cartilage. The matrix is less trans- parent and more homogeneous than in ordinary hyaline cartilage, and forms thin bands enclosing nucleated cells with clear ]fnt scanty cell-substance. The cells are round, oval, compressed, rarely branched, and of relatively small size. The growth of the nodule takes place at its periphery, where there is a thin layer of