Case of chronic hydrocephalus connected with cancer at the base of the brain / by J. Warburton Begbie ; with an account of the morbid appearances, by D. Rutherford Haldane.

  • Begbie, James Warburton, 1826-1876.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of chronic hydrocephalus connected with cancer at the base of the brain / by J. Warburton Begbie ; with an account of the morbid appearances, by D. Rutherford Haldane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    appeared to have been involved in the tumor. The right optic nerve where it lay upon the crus cerebri was natural. All the other cranial nerves were uninvolved. On cutting through the tumor it was found to extend from the base of the brain upwards into the left lateral ventricle. Its lower surface was firm, and of a greyish pink colour, but the surface which appeared in the ventricle, as well as the nodulated portion, was soft. On gently squeezing the latter portions, a milky juice escaped. The cystic tumor connected with its margin contained about two drachms of thin bloody serum. The cerebral matter immediately surrounding the tumor appeared natural. The pituitary gland was flattened out, and appeared a little enlarged, but its structure was healthy. The dura-mater lining the base of the skull, as well as the bones themselves, were healthy. The left orbital plate of the frontal bone was not thicker than card board. The left eye was taken out and examined; the opening of the optic nerve into it was very small, the nerve itself was almost entirely atrophied. The cellular tissue behind and around the eye-ball was condensed and firm. The structure of the eye, lens, vitreous humour, etc., seemed natural. The neck was not examined, but the thyroid gland was evidently a little larger than natural. On opening the thorax, the thymus gland was found to occupy the anterior mediastinum; its inferior extremity rested upon the right auricle of the heart. It consisted of two lateral halves (the left being a little the larger) connected together by loose cellular tissue. It was softish, and presented the normal appearance of the unatrophied gland. Its greatest length was 3f inches, breadth If inches, its weight was 227 grains. The heart was quite healthy. The lungs were normal; they were not congested, their weight was 15 ounces. The bronchial glands were natural. The liver, spleen, and kidneys were quite healthy. The supra renal capsules were no larger than natural. The mesenteric glands were a little enlarged, but contained no abnormal deposit. The intestines were perfectly healthy, the follicular and agminated glands were distinct, but not enlarged. The bladder, prostate and testicles, were natural. Microscopic Examination.—On examining a drop of the milky juice squeezed from the tumor, it was found to consist chiefly of round and oval nuclei, either loose, or imbedded in a very soft trans- parent substance. These bodies were about ^oW °f an mcn *n cua meter, and contained one or two nucleoli and a little granular matter. In addition to these, though much less numerous, were cells of a round or oval form. These were from j-^o to y^oo °^ an m<i\\ m diameter, and each contained a nucleus exactly similar to those float- ing about. On the addition of dilute acetic acid, the cell walls became a little paler and more transparent; no change was pro- duced upon the nuclei. The denser portions of the tumor con-