Cases of intra-cranial tumour / by Byrom Bramwell.

  • Byrom Bramwell
Date:
[1878-1879]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of intra-cranial tumour / by Byrom Bramwell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    48/48 (page 700)
    iJmarfe.—The great point of interest in this case is the fact that nearly the whole of the left corpus striatum was destroyed with¬ out any r^ulting paralysis. I have already commented on it in mv remarks on the previous case. ^ \ r • u The other nodules of new growth were situated in regions which experimental investigations have shown to he non-motor. Accordino- to Terrier, a lesion of the anterior part ot the Irontal lobe would be attended with mental apathy, dulness, and a ten¬ dency to sleep,—an opinion which is confirmed to a great extent by clinical observations in the human subject. In this case the lesion in the frontal lobe was small, and it would be exceedingly rash I think, considering the number and extent of the other lesions, to attribute the mental lethargy and tendency to which were marked features of the latter stages, to it alone, ihat Terrier’s conclusions as to the frontal lobes are correct I believe, and they are confirmed, I think, by cases already reported in this series. . According to Terrier the angular gyrus is the centre for vision of the opposite side. In this case, in which there was a lesion in the right angular gyrus, vision was considerably affected towards the end. The loss of vision was, however, clearly due to the local changes in the fundus. The case, therefore, neither proves nor disproves Terrier’s most interesting observations on this point. Other interesting points in the case are— \stj The voracious appetite. I have already referred to the opinions of Drs Lawson and Bevan Lewis, and stated that they believe a voracious appetite to be an early symptom of cerebral tumour. Their opinion seems to me to be corroborated by this case. It is the only one, however, in which I have noted this symptom. 2d, The general good condition of the patient, associated as it was with the presence of tubercles in the lungs, and with the extensive cerebral lesions. The absence of wasting was probably due to— {a) The absence of fever. {U) The voracious appetite, and healthy condition of the digestive organs. (c) The apathetic condition of the patient. The fact that there was little or no pain in the wrist-joint is probably to be explained in the same way. The fact that the cerebellum, which is the most frequent seat of intra-cranial tubercles, was healthy. Aitlij The absence of any softening in the cerebral lesions. {To he continued.)