Acromegaly / by Maximilian Sternberg ; translated by F.R.B. Atkinson.

  • Sternberg, Maximilian, 1863-
Date:
[1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Acromegaly / by Maximilian Sternberg ; translated by F.R.B. Atkinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    canal terminates before the depression in the hypophysis. As a rule the entrance of the infundibulum takes place in the middle of the notch on the posterior edge of the anterior lobe, but it may also happen that it enters into the centre of the upper surface of the hypophysis, and so ostensibly belongs exclusively to the anterior lobe. Sections show nevertheless, in such oases, that it only passes through the mass of the anterior lobe in order to reach the substance of the posterior lobe. Another variety exists in which no contact at all between infundibulum and anterior lobe of the hypophysis occurs, but the whole mass of the infundibulum, which is surrounded by the pia mater, passes over externally into that of the posterior section. The arteries of the anterior lobe arise from the internal carotid, and are fine branches which spring directly from the trunk within the cavernous sinus. Very frequently also a small twig originates from the carotid during its passage through the dura mater in the fossa of the skull or shortly afterwards. The arteries of the posterior lobe pass down with the pia mater of the infundibulum. The veins collect into two little stems which fall into the circular sinus of Ridley. Topography.—The hypophysis lies in the sella turcica of the sphenoid bone. It is divided from the fossa of the skull by the very tight diaphragma sellee turcicce, a part of the dura mater, so that only the pedicle of the infundibulum remains free, by which the hypophysis is connected with the tuber cinereum. Its larger part lies in the anterior angle of the chiasma, and does not normally reach beyond the posterior border of the chiasma. The chiasma lies not unfrequently asymmetrically, so that the intracranial portion of tlie optic nerves shows considerable variations in length. TIislology.—The anterior lobe consists of rows of cells, which unite in places with each other. It contains almost always two rows of cells of cylindrical shape. When fully developed they extend also upwards for a little distance upon the anterior surface of the infundibulum. Flesch was the first to distinguish two forms of cells. The one, “ chroma- tophile cells,” possess a round or polyhedral protoplasmic body, which is readily stained. The other, ‘‘mother cells” (Stieda), are smaller, have little protoplasm, indistinct cellu- 4