Selected cases of sarcoma of bone affecting the lower extremities / by Frederic S. Dennis.

  • Frederic Shepard Dennis
Date:
[1888]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Selected cases of sarcoma of bone affecting the lower extremities / by Frederic S. Dennis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    15/36
    and an application of caustics are, in my humble judgment, productive of harm; because the disease is not as a rule radically removed by these methods, and oftentimes the tumor returns very rapidly, and the operation seemed only to add fuel to the fire. I believe that in all cases of sarcoma of the long bones amputation should be decided upon at the earliest period possible, and the operation performed without delay. At the point of election I would suggest an amputation which would remove the entire bone affected, whether it is a subperiosteal or central sarcoma. This necessitates an amputation of the lower part of the thigh in case the tibia or fibula is the seat of the neoplasm. It necessitates an ampu- tation of the hip-joint when the tumor is subperios- teal, and involves the shaft of the femur. In view of the great mortality of hip-joint amputation, a possible exception might be made in case of a central sar- coma of the condyle of the femur which was recog- nized early, and which was small in size. By ampu- tation in the lower third of the femur in sarcoma of one of the bones of the legs, the popliteal glands are thus removed, and while this point would con- cern us more if the disease were cancer, yet I have seen a case of sarcoma affecting those glands. The remedy of amputation which is suggested, is a severe one; but the disease for which the amputa- tion is performed is a uniformly fatal one if left to nature, and in view of the great malignancy of sar- coma, I believe the operation should be the most radical one consistent with a due regard for the life of the patient during the immediate performance of