Ovarian tumors : their pathology, diagnosis and treatment, especially by ovariotomy / by E. Randolph Peaslee.

  • Peaslee, E. Randolph.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ovarian tumors : their pathology, diagnosis and treatment, especially by ovariotomy / by E. Randolph Peaslee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

    72/608 (page 36)
    The Fallopian tube of the affected side is stretched over the distended cyst, and thus becomes very conspicuous; it always conducting to the portion of the ovary which (if there be any such portion) remains unchanged. Generally, the ovary dis- appears entirely; but it sometimes becomes hypertrophied and indurated. The broad ligaments of the uterus are lengthened, and the uterus is sometimes elevated, but generally the reverse. The minute structure of the walls of each variety of ovarian cyst will be specified under the aj^propriate heads. h. TJie contents of ova?'ian cysts always consist of a fluid, in which are solids of various kinds. 1. The Fluid presents almost every shade of density from a specific gravity of 1007—though seldom below 1015—to a dense jelly, which will not flow through a canula of the largest size. It is denser in the small than in the larger cysts of the same tumor; and, as already explained, richer in albumen in the lat- ter, and in gelatine in the former. The fluid of a monocyst, not before tapped, is less dense than that of a polycyst. But after tapping it usually becomes more highly albuminous than before. It is in polycysts alone that the firm jelly is met with. The Color of the fluid presents many varieties. The mono- cyst, before tapping, usually contains a clear, transparent fluid, not unlike ascitic fluid, but not so straw-colored; but, after ta])ping, it becomes darker, and more viscid, sometimes even as dark as cofl'ee-gi'ounds, from the admixture of blood, proceeding from a punctured vessel, or as a result of congestion or inflam- mation of the cyst-walls. Sometimes, however, as in a case I saw with Prof. Markoe, the fluid is quite red, resembling bloody serum, though the patient had not been before tapped. That case finally proved to be one of carcinoma of the right ovary. Pus may also abound in the fluid as well as blood. The darker color above mentioned is very common in poly- cysts before tapping; and the same tumor may present very many varieties of color in its difterent cysts—the straw-color, the green, the yellow, and dark brown, predominating. Mr. I. B. Brown remarks, that he has evacuated cysts containino- a black, ink-like fluid, a gruel- or custard-like one, and a mix- ture of fluid with a solid, brain-like matter.* The gruel-like * Loc. cit., p. 14.