Acquired cretinism or juvenile myxœdema / by William Rushton Parker.

  • Parker, William Rushton.
Date:
[1897]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Acquired cretinism or juvenile myxœdema / by William Rushton Parker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    Reprinted for the Author from the British Medical Journal, May 29th, 1S97. ACQUIRED CRETINISM OR JUVENILE MYX (EDEMA. By WILLIAM RUSHTON PARKER, M.A., M.D.Cantab., Surgeon to the Kendal Hospital. Crktinism is the result of loss of thyroid action in youth, and varies in proportion both to the extent of the loss and to the degree of youthfulness. Three varieties may be distinguished both etiologically and pathologically. In one the thyroid is embryologically not developed, or very partially developed, the cause being presumably akin to that which brings about any other embryological deficiency, such as acardia, acephalia, anencephalia, absence or abortion of uterus, ovaries, or testicles. In a second the thyroid undergoes the same changes as in endemic goitre, and doubtless from the same cause, any differences being due to loss of thyroid function. In a third the thyroid, after functionating healthily for a time, atrophies, doubtless from causes akin to those of adult myxcedema. This third variety may be distinguished from congenital cretinism and from goitrous cretinism by the term acquired (non-goitrous) cretinism or juvenile myxcedema. A few examples may make this variety clear. 1. A young man, under Dr. E. Hertoghe,1 of Antwerp. Growth stopped without apparent cause at the age of 12. At the age of 27 his voice was childish, his face beardless, his movements slow, his face and hands swollen, his height 4 feet 6 inches. Under thyroid extract he grew an inch and three-quarters in 14 months. 2. A young woman, also under Dr. Hertoghe.1 Growth stopped without apparent cause at the age of 7. At the age of 20 her face and hands were swollen; she was dull and apathetic; always felt cold ; oould read and write well; and was just under 4 feet high. In about a year and a half she grew 4! inches, lost her puffiness, and became bright and cheerful. The photographs are very similar to those of Case 1. 3. A girl, under the late Dr. C. Hilton Fagge. She made good progress at school till a severe attack of measles, with erysipelas, at the age of 8, soon after which growth ceased ; her features and hair underwent profound changes ; pseudo- lipomata were noticed at 12 ; and at i6f Dr. Fagge diagnosed cretinism.2 4. A girl, under Dr. Dawson Williams. She learnt to talk and walk, and cut her teeth at about the usual age, and seemed in all respects normal until scarlatina with dropsy at the age of 5, after which growth nearly ceased, and a great change came over her mental state. At i8-£- she seemed like a child of 5, played with dolls, showed no signs of puberty, was slow in all movements and speech, had a cretinous