Selected researches in pathology / by Alex. Gunn Auld.

  • Auld, Alexander Gunn.
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Selected researches in pathology / by Alex. Gunn Auld. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    157/172 (page 145)
    unusual degree of atrophy of the media, under the athero- matous patches, strongly suggests a preceding weakness of that coat. Beneath the atheromatous patch (which, partly necrosed, is shown by the dark mass to the left) there is a distinct gap in the media. This gap is occupied by a highly cellular new-formed tissue, which extends from the intima, where it is widest, in amongst the fibres of the media as if between the ruptured ends of the elastic tissue. The case is of great importance as supporting the view that the changes in the media are secondary to those in the intima. Here a special weakness of the media is associated with these secondary changes in a high degree, but this high degree is only presented under the patches. The same applies to inflammatory changes in the adventitia. These are indicated by the unusual nucleation of the tissue at the lower part of the figure. It is only directly under- neath the atheromatous patches that such inflammatory changes are found in the adventitia. Another case which came under observation also deserves a passing notice. It was a case of cancer of the stomach, with secondary growth in the peritoneum, in a man set. 70. The body was much emaciated, but it is noted that “ the heart is slightly enlarged, weighing 111 oz. The muscular substance is firm and tolerably healthy looking.” The aortic arch presented a well-marked, more or less uniform dilatation, but no thinning of the wall was observed. Under the microscope no atheroma or atrophy of the media was visible; but in the dilated part of the arch there was a well-marked fatty degeneration of the media. This is visible in the tissue lying between the elastic laminae, and affects either the muscle alone or the muscle along with the fine elastic fibres which run between the laminae. There is slight fatty degeneration in the aorta, outside the bulged part and in the wall of the pulmonary artery. In another case of cancer (in which the sigmoid flexure was the seat of tumour), without any bulging of the aorta, 10