Observations on aneurism of the abdominal aorta / by Alexander Monro.

  • Monro, Alexander, 1773-1859.
Date:
1827
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on aneurism of the abdominal aorta / by Alexander Monro. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/34 (page 5)
    CASE OF ANEURISM OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA, ACCOMPANIED BY AN OBSTRUCTION OF THAT VESSEL. The patient^ a middle aged man, and well limbed, had, in consequence of exposure to cold, been seized with pain in his side, difficulty of breathing, cough, followed by expectoration, quick pulse, and the other symptoms of phthisis pulmonalis. Notwithstanding all the remedies that were employed, the disease made rapid progress, and proved fatal in the course of four months. It merits particular notice, that this man had no degree of weakness, numbness, or palsy in his limbs, and could walk about until a day or two before his death. As the patient’s death was owing to phthisis, the thorax was opened in the usual manner, by raising the sternum: the lungs presented the same morbid appearances as are usually de¬ tected in cases of tubercular phthisis, and the heart was in its natural state. After the contents of the thorax had been exa¬ mined, the parietes of the abdomen were freely divided, so as to expose all the abdominal bowels, all of which were also in a healthy state. Upon turning over the convolutions of the smaller intestines, a distinctly circumscribed tumour, rather more than three inches in breadth, and about two inches and three quarters in height, was observed lying upon the second and third lumbar ver¬ tebrae, which, upon a more minute investigation, proved to be connected with the descending abdominal aorta. This tumour was considerably flattened ; and adhered very firmly to the second and third lumbar vertebrae, which were partially ab¬ sorbed ; and, when compressed, it felt somewhat hard, and evi¬ dently was filled by a quantity of clotted blood. Upon cutting through the sac, it was found to be much thicker than the coats of any sound artery; and it did not seem to be composed of distinct layers, nor was there any deposition /