Acromegaly / by Maximilian Sternberg ; translated by F.R.B. Atkinson.

  • Sternberg, Maximilian, 1863-
Date:
[1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Acromegaly / by Maximilian Sternberg ; translated by F.R.B. Atkinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    enlai'ged extremities of the hocly, in most cases also in the neck and trunk. The epidermis is increased in thickness, frequently also the height and breadth of the papillee is increased (Duches- nau, Marie-Marinesco). The cells of Meissner s touch corpuscles may also be increased. The cells of the rete Malpighii contain abundant pigment, The cutis is much thickened, often to double or treble the normal. Its bands of cellular tissue sclerosed. The sheaths of the nerves, vessels, and glands are thickened, their nuclei also may be increased. The sweat glands are hypertrophied, the sebaceous glands are often prominent (Arnold). The fat globules of the subcutaneous cellular tissue are enlarged, and closely enveloped by dense bands of cellular tissue. The small vessels at once attract notice owing to the thickness of their wall and dilatation. The thickening of the outer sheath of the cutaneous nerves extends up to the endoueu- riuni, the nuclei of the sheaths of Schwann are increased, the fibres partly wanting in substance (Marie-Marinesco). The other changes in the skin, such as those of the hair and nails, Ave describe, to aA'oid repetition, in the symptomatology (Chapter iv.). The muscular system is, as a rule, lax and atrophied (Duchesnau, Holsti, Arnold, Claus and A an der Stricht, Comini, and others). Microscopically all possible forms of degeneration and atrophy of fibres are present, even in such muscles Avhich, on (hssection, show apparently a normal appearance. There is usually, in addition, an increase and sclerosis of the interstitial cellular tissue. Yet simple atropliA' of the muscles Avithout degeneration also occurs (Mosse and Dannie). In individual internal organs, an uniform increase, an liypertrophy of the Avhole organ, “ splanchnomegaly,” is pre- sent in many cases. It is a condition which, except the true enlargement of the breast and congenital increases, e.r/., of the brain, is one of the greatest mrity, and stands quite alone in pathological anatomy. As it often occurs in acromegaly, it certainly belongs to the ])henomena of this disease. It is present in the central neiwous system, eyeball, gastro-intestinal canal, liver, and