Rare tumour of the orbit / by John B. Story.

  • Story, John B.
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rare tumour of the orbit / by John B. Story. 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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    too defective to aiford us a clear idea of an orbital enchondroma, in which category he seems inclined to place the tumour, except for the fact that no evidence is obtainable of the existence of such tumoui'S except this very remarkable case of Fano's. Now, without wishing to doubt the accuracy of Fano's microscopical observation, I cannot but believe that the tumour described by him is identical in origin and pathology with that described and exhibited by myself. The presence of cartilage cells in his tumour is the only real point of difference, for though he calls the tumour an osteo-fibro-cartila- ginous growth, he says nothing in the pathological description of the existence of any bony tissue in the new growth. The prepara- tions I have made are not very excellent, but if any tissue resembling cartilage had existed in the tumour it could not fail to be demonstrated in these preparations. The absence of cartilage cells in the tumour I have exhibited makes me suspect that Fano too hastily assumed that cellular conglomerations were true cartilage cells. This, in my tumour, they certainly are not. It has been suggested to me that the tumour may possibly be of the nature of a phlebolith, and I must confess that this is the only theory as to its nature vs^hich seems to me probable. In micro- scopical appearances it does not differ from such bodies, and the bluish discolouration of the skin, the marked venous hemorrhage during the operation, and the occurrence of swelling in the orbital soft parts when the patient does anything likely to increase the pressure in the orbital veins, all point strongly to the existence of some vascular anomaly in this situation.
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