Two cases of glioma of the retina / by G. E. de Schweinitz and E. A. Shumway.

  • De Schweinitz, G. E. (George Edmund), 1858-1938.
Date:
[1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Two cases of glioma of the retina / by G. E. de Schweinitz and E. A. Shumway. 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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    stained tissue the bloodvessels stand out prominently, their lime- infiltrated walls staining dark blue with the hematoxylin. This is evidently the original tumor. The retina can be traced only as a line of degenerated tissue, extending inward from the ora serrata, and the growth has advanced too far to determine the layer of the retina from which it has sprung. The posterior well-staining portion represents the secondary infiltration of the choroid. It shows moderately well the tubular arrangement typical of glioma. The bloodvessel walls have undergone marked hyaline change and the mass is infiltrated with scattered masses of pigment, part of which represent the remains of the stroma cells of the choroid, but the greater part is evidently the result of previous blood extravasation. The sclera is infiltrated, and the optic nerve is entirely replaced by the growing tumor. Anteriorly the ciliary bodies are stretched forward and are quite atrophic. The lens is pushed forward in advance of them ; it shows extensive cataractous changes : proliferation of the capsule epithelium, separation of the fibers by a coagulated fluid, with destruction of individual fibers. The iris is pressed firmly against the corneal periphery, entirely blocking the filtration angle, and is to a high degree atrophic, The cornea is stretched, but is otherwise normal, neither Des- cemet's nor Bowman's membrane showing any break in its con- tinuity. The mass in the anterior chamber is composed of de- generated glioma cells, only a few retaining their staining power. In no part of the tumor mass are there any of the so-called rosets. In connection with these cases of glioma of the retina, which present no features distinguishing them from the many cases now on record, it may be well to review the subject of the etiology of the growth in question, especially as there has been little mention in American literature of the very animated discussion that has been called forth on the Continent by Wintersteiner's monograph.1 For many years the scientific world has been divided into two camps—those defending Virchow's views,2 that glioma develops from the neuroglia or supporting tissue of the retina—among them Hirschberg,3 Iwanoff,4 Knapp,5 etc.; and, on the other hand, those who take the ground that it is a round-cell sarcoma, or plexiform, or tubular angiosarcoma (Delafield,'5 Vetsch,7 Straub,8 Mazza,9 Van Duyse,10 Becker11). Virchow's stand-point has recently re-