Bilharziosis / by Frank Cole Madden.

  • Madden, Frank Cole.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Bilharziosis / by Frank Cole Madden. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    fibres of the rectus muscle, nothing but a fibrous structure could be made out. Microscopically the growth consisted of firm white fibrous tissue, in which no ova could be found. The opening in the bladder gradually closed, and, though the tumour remained as before, considerable relief was experienced by the removal of the stone. There is still considerable discussion as to the nature of these hard masses produced by bilharzia. Some would have one believe that they are all cancer- ous, the exciting cause of the malignant change being bilharzia ova; but, certainly, most of them are simply masses of dense fibrous tissue, practically scar tissue, the density being specially marked owing to the essentially chronic nature of the inflammatory process. There are, however, cases of apparently typical scir- rhus cancers in connection with bilharzial changes in the bladder, and, in such, microscopic section shows the ova, often in very large numbers, lying between the masses of cancer cells. (See Fig. 12.) Clinically there is very little to help in the differential diagnosis of these bilharzial fibrous masses from those really cancerous, though sometimes a secondary enlarge- ment of neighbouring glands and the extreme rapidity of growth are in favour of cancer. The co-existence of carcinoma and bilharzia is generally regarded as fairly common, but, I think, it does not in reality occur so frequently as some writers would lead one to expect. (Milton.) Occasionally sinuous fistulous tracks, lined with