Observations on aneurism of the abdominal aorta / by Alexander Monro.

  • Alexander Monro
Date:
1827
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on aneurism of the abdominal aorta / by Alexander Monro. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/34 (page 12)
    « Sir A. Cooper, an aneurism in the abdominal aorta sometimes occurs in the same individual as an external aneurism. The size of aneurisms in the abdominal aorta is extremely various, and, in general, they expand to a considerable extent In the case of aneurism of the abdominal aorta, accompanied bv an obstruction of that artery, the tumour had attained but a small bulk. This, perhaps, was owing to the tumour having been, as it were, strapped down by the inferior mesenteric ar¬ tery, which adhered very intimately to its coats, and passed over the front of it; which artery, it may be remarked, was probably highly irritated by the tumour, for its internal coats were of a deep red colour, and the outer coat seemed to my eye to have been somewhat thickened. Aneurisms of the abdominal aorta have sometimes attained so large a bulk as to fill the greater share of the abdomen, and have also compressed, to a certain degree, the bowels of the chest, so as to occasion difficult breathing. My uncle Dr Donald Monro has published a very detailed account of an aneurism of this description, which, on account of its very particular nature and termination, merits the notice of the reader, and therefore I have subjoined an extract from that remarkable case:— “ We observed, that the left side of the cavity of the abdo¬ men was filled with one large black tumour, which, on examin¬ ing, proved to be the cellular membranes behind the perito¬ neum, which covered the kidney, filled with blood. On cutting through the peritoneum, and these membranes, we found the kidney sound below, which we removed ; and then laid the aorta bare from its coming out of the heart, till near its division into the two iliacs, which brought into view a large aneurismal sac, which extended from the diaphragm to the os pubis. * De Haen has made mention of an exception to the above remark. An aneu¬ rism of the aorta protruded between the second and third ribs, and the external tumour, instead of increasing in bulk, suddenly disappeared, and was not percep¬ tible for above a month before the patient’s death. Upon dissection the arc!) of the aorta was found very much enlarged.