On the pathological anatomy of multiple lymphosarcoma and its status with relation to Hodgkin's Disease / by W.G. MacCallum.

  • MacCallum, W. G. (William George), 1874-1944.
Date:
[1907?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the pathological anatomy of multiple lymphosarcoma and its status with relation to Hodgkin's Disease / by W.G. MacCallum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Microscopic Notes. Blood. The smear of the blood shows no excess of leuko¬ cytes. Bone-marrow is composed of an almost uniform mass of cells, which are largely of one variety and appear to be polygonal cells with large, vesicular nuclei. Among these cells are scattered a few'eosinophile granules, but the majority have no granulation in the protoplasm. The protoplasm is rather ragged and rather scanty, but shows no specific granulation. The nucleus is sometimes doubled; it contains large, well rounded nucleolus. Mitotic figures are not infrequent. The cells measure 6 to 10 mikra, and average about 8. They form a very solid sort of tissue; among them there are moderate numbers of large, pale, phagocytic cells, of very irregular form, with very pale vesicular nucleus and vacuolated protoplasm. These frequently contain fragments of other cells. No distinct nucleated red cells can be seen. Some of the cells with eosin-methylene blue show curious blue staining in the marginal parts of the protoplasm. These are obviously the tumor cells, which occupy so much space in the bone-marrow, to the exclusion of the ordinary myelocytes. The eosino¬ phile cells, when they are seen, are usually polymorphonuclear. There are a good many cells whose nuclei stain very black, and are very irregular in outline. Some of these are doubtless cells in mitosis, while others seem to be degenerating cells; in many of them the protoplasm contains dark granules. The tumor cells are frequently seen in the bloodvessels in the marrow. On the whole, the tissue does not look like marrow. There are practically none of the cells char¬ acteristic of that tissue, the whole structure being replaced by the foreign ele¬ ments. The presence of cancellous bone, however, makes the situation clear. Tumor. Section through one of the main tumor masses shows precisely the same appearance, even to the large, irregular, phagocytic cells which were ob¬ served in the bone-marrow, and which are quite conspicuous here, and the degeneration processes in the nuclei which made them stain so deeply. Many of these nuclei show beautiful mitotic figures. The measurements of the cells are the same as in the section of bone-marrow, averaging about 8 mm., while the phagocytic cells measure 20 mm. or more in diameter. Mallory’s connective- tissue stain brings out only the most delicate and sparsely placed filaments of connective tissue, and great masses of cells seem to have no support whatever. The pelvic and retroperitoneal glands are largely replaced by the tumor mass, but their cells vary a good deal in size, some being as large as 15 mm. Thymus is entirely replaced by the tumor and is recognizable only from remnants of Hassal’s bodies, which occur here and there. The cells of the tumor are exactly as they are elsewhere, reaching a diameter of 10 to 12 mm. The supporting reticulum is in very small amount, and phagocytic cells are scarcely to be found, except in one section, which shows a great separation of the cells, and there they are quite numerous. Omentum is infiltrated with the tumor, which here shows some very large cells, measuring 12 to 15 mm. These have very definite cell outlines, wfith clear protoplasms and rather irregular nucleus.