A manual of ophthalmic practice / by Charles Higgins.

  • Higgens, Charles, 1846-1920.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual of ophthalmic practice / by Charles Higgins. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    318/350 (page 302)
    lowing appearance:—Should the patient be a child, it will generally be healthy looking, and present no signs of cachexia; attention has been drawn to the eye from a peculiar glistening appearance of the pupil (cat's eye). On examination the surgeon will notice the peculiar reflection through the pupil, which is generally some- what dilated but movable in the earher stages. Exam- ination, both by means of the ophthalmoscope and by lateral illumination, will show a light coloured growth projecting into the vitreous chamber, either as a single prominence or in nodules; the growth will gradually increase, its surface become covered with blood-vessels, the retina be displaced, and sight soon entirely lost. As the disease progresses the tension of the globe increases, the pupil becomes widely dilated and fixed, the iris pushed forwards and nearly in contact with the cornea, and the lens opaque, preventing a view of the interior of the eye; the whole globe now gradually en- larges, frequent inflammatory attacks occur, the sclero- tic becomes thinned, and at last, if the growth is allowed to remain, a slough forms near the centre of the cornea, which ruptures, and a fungoid bleeding mass protrudes. The increase of the growth now becomes much more rapid, and it may grow to a considerable size in a short time. As soon as the growth becomes exposed to the air it commences to discharge thin sanious pus and blood, and becomes more or less coated with a dirty yellow scab. The eyelids become inflamed and swollen, sharp attacks of haemorrhage may take place, the general health suffers, and the patient dies from exhaustion or from extension of the disease to the brain. Glioma in its earlier stages is likely to be confounded with tubercular deposit within the eyeball or pseudo glioma, but it is not likely to be thus mistaken after perforation has occurred.