Pemphigus of the skin and mucous membrane of the mouth, associated with "essential shrinking" and pemphigus of the conjunctivae / by A. Hill Griffith.

  • Morris, Malcolm, Sir, 1849-1924.
Date:
[1889]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pemphigus of the skin and mucous membrane of the mouth, associated with "essential shrinking" and pemphigus of the conjunctivae / by A. Hill Griffith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    method of arranging them, as it offers greater facility for comparing the leading features of the disease, and any uniformity which may exist will thus be readily apparent. Twenty-eight cases are on record, and though others have been seen, they have either not been recorded, or merely briefly referred to. Of these twenty-eight cases three are by French, seventeen by German, three by American, and five by English observers. As regards the sex, excluding three cases described by Klemm as children, twelve were females, and thirteen males. Their ages varied from infancy to the age of 76, the average being about 40 years. The general previous health is described in some as good, and in others as bad. Some were in a condition of ill-health and of emaication at the onset of the disease, or when coming under observation; while others are described as being in excellent health, and well nourished and developed. In only one case was there a history of syphilis, and that was ten years before the commencement of the pemphigus. Out of the twenty-eight cases sixteen began on the skin as pemphigus vulgaris or foliaceus, four on the mucous mem- branes, and eight on the eye. One eye always became affected before the other, but the lapse of time before the second became affected varied from a few days to two years. In twelve out of the whole number of cases vesicles or bullae were observed upon the conjunctiva either in an unruptured state or soon after bursting. In some cases a diphtheritic pseudo-membrane is described as forming upon the conjunctiva. Eeference to the column in the table headed Mode of Termination, will show how uniform are the changes which are ultimately produced in the con- junctiva. These changes manifest themselves by a characteristic shrinking of the conjunctiva of the lids and of the globe. The result of this is twofold : first, a deformity of the lids, by which the cilisD are directed against the corneal and scleral con- junctiva, and secondly the irritation of these structures, which results from this entropion. Sooner or later the cornea of the affected eye becomes cloudy, and the sclerotic conjunctiva thickened. They finally become dry, a condition which some observers have compared to xerophthalmia. Vision may be