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Dermoid Cyst in a Cat
Dermoid Cyst zn a Cat
509'
DIAGNOSJs.-T en ta tively, general paresis, probably due to some ir.jury. TREATME};T consisted of ac aceto salic and qumme hycirochlnr , fo llowed by nux vom . Locally a 1-12 hydrarg iodi. rub. blister was applied down the spine. By April 27th no improvement was shown , so I decided to try th e effect of ultra violet rays, using a modern quartz lamp. The first exposure was for four minutes, without heat, on the under surface of the abdomen , where the hair was scantiest. No reddening or irritation appeared afterwards as is sometimes seen in man, and no dressings were applied. Care was taken to see the intense light did not get to the eyes. On May 1st a great improvement was noticed. Th e animal was now -able to sit up a nd move the forelegs, but th e hind legs still showed n o/sign of movement. The appetite had returned and was good, the food consisting of raw eggs and milk . Another e xposure was given on this date for eight minutes to the abdomen and the back, though here the hair was thick, and the owner did not want it cut. On May ·4 th the dog first walked normally, though ran with a peculiar gait, carrying both hind legs together. By 8th. it could move perfectly and was returnerl to the litter. About 20th there was no sign of any disease. I do not claim that the electric treatment was successful per se, although improvement dated from its inception, but I should value the opinion and experiences of your readers as t o the limits of its use. DERMOID CYST IN A CAT. By LOUIS SEWELL, M .R.e.V .s., London, AND
F. A . CREW , :'ltD ., D .Se., PH.D.,
The Uni versilv, Edinbu rgh.
TH E specimen was a n example of a dermoid cyst. Microscopically, it con tained bone, cartilage, con nective ti ~su e (chi efly white fi1:>rous),. muscle (plain and striated), and in addition to these which were well differentiated , there were struct ures resembling imperfectly formed sweat glands and a small area having the appearance of m arrow tissu e .. The arrangement of th e tissues in one of th e sections examined suggest imperfect formation of ph alanges . Tumours of this variety may contain any kind of tissue as they arC' believed to be derived from a totipotent cell which has becomeseparat ed off from the tissues of the host at an ea rl y stage of development, thu s escaping differentiation into a complete individuaL Nerve elements are uncommon , and while stri ated (i. e., voluntary) mllscle might theore tically be expected -to occur fai rl y frequently, it
510
The Ve terinary Journal
is actually very rarely found and is seldom well formed. The specimen is therefore of some interest, as it contains small bundles of striped muscle. There is a curious resemblance to cardiac muscle in places owing to a tendency to lateral branching, hut it is not like cardiac muscle in other respects.
~~I~IT~~~~~~~ em.
0
2
5
FIG.
I .
Cland acini were not found, the only glandCllar elements being the rudimentary sweat gland., referred to, and there were no hair follicles. Nervc clements were also absent, but owin g to late fixation, they wen' not likely to be demonstrable and need not necessarily be excluded. " D ermoid cysts" are more accurately termed " teratoid cysts" (l\Iuir) since they contain not only structures related to the skin, such as epidermis, sebaceous material. degenerated epithelium, etc., but also teeth and gland-like structures lin ed with columnar epithelium representing the respiratory and alim entary tracts in addition to bone, cartilage, connective tissue, and muscle. According to l\Iuir, " In the common type of teratom~ or ' dermoid cyst: there is usually a large cyst lined by striatili ed squamous epithelium and containing hair and sebaceous material; while at one sid e there is an elevation representing the head from which the hairs take origin and not infrequently tceth project. Other tissues are variously represented.
Dermoid Cyst in a Cat
511
"TERATOMATl\ a re thus the result of ma.ldevelopment of stmctures of the three germinal layers derived from a to tipotent cell and have not n ecessaril? the essen tial features of true tumours, that is indefinite autonomol1S prolife ra tion. Some remain without undergoing much change and whilst enl a rgement of the ovaria n forme; takes place ch 'efiy by accum ula tion of secreti on within the cyst."
Th e theory most commonl y accepted regarding the origin of such tumours is based upon Cohnheim 's hypothesis th at in the course of clevelopm ent groups of cell s mi ght be separa ted or disloca ted from
rm ron qlllllllllllllllllll/l.lJ.4llilll1L4Lllii Ctll
C
2
4
5
FIG. 2.
their normal relationships and exist in " rests."
3.
dominant condition as
" Anoth er \"ie~\" i~ that teratomata are cleri,"cd from the male or female germ cells. Such -:ells may be regarded as totipotent after fertilisat ion, i.e., "'hen union with a cell of the opposite sex takes place. " . . It has also been supposed that teratomata might arise from fertilised polar bodies, but any substantial evidence in support of this appear ..; to be wanting." (::IIuir.)
509'
DIAGNOSJs.-T en ta tively, general paresis, probably due to some ir.jury. TREATME};T consisted of ac aceto salic and qumme hycirochlnr , fo llowed by nux vom . Locally a 1-12 hydrarg iodi. rub. blister was applied down the spine. By April 27th no improvement was shown , so I decided to try th e effect of ultra violet rays, using a modern quartz lamp. The first exposure was for four minutes, without heat, on the under surface of the abdomen , where the hair was scantiest. No reddening or irritation appeared afterwards as is sometimes seen in man, and no dressings were applied. Care was taken to see the intense light did not get to the eyes. On May 1st a great improvement was noticed. Th e animal was now -able to sit up a nd move the forelegs, but th e hind legs still showed n o/sign of movement. The appetite had returned and was good, the food consisting of raw eggs and milk . Another e xposure was given on this date for eight minutes to the abdomen and the back, though here the hair was thick, and the owner did not want it cut. On May ·4 th the dog first walked normally, though ran with a peculiar gait, carrying both hind legs together. By 8th. it could move perfectly and was returnerl to the litter. About 20th there was no sign of any disease. I do not claim that the electric treatment was successful per se, although improvement dated from its inception, but I should value the opinion and experiences of your readers as t o the limits of its use. DERMOID CYST IN A CAT. By LOUIS SEWELL, M .R.e.V .s., London, AND
F. A . CREW , :'ltD ., D .Se., PH.D.,
The Uni versilv, Edinbu rgh.
TH E specimen was a n example of a dermoid cyst. Microscopically, it con tained bone, cartilage, con nective ti ~su e (chi efly white fi1:>rous),. muscle (plain and striated), and in addition to these which were well differentiated , there were struct ures resembling imperfectly formed sweat glands and a small area having the appearance of m arrow tissu e .. The arrangement of th e tissues in one of th e sections examined suggest imperfect formation of ph alanges . Tumours of this variety may contain any kind of tissue as they arC' believed to be derived from a totipotent cell which has becomeseparat ed off from the tissues of the host at an ea rl y stage of development, thu s escaping differentiation into a complete individuaL Nerve elements are uncommon , and while stri ated (i. e., voluntary) mllscle might theore tically be expected -to occur fai rl y frequently, it
510
The Ve terinary Journal
is actually very rarely found and is seldom well formed. The specimen is therefore of some interest, as it contains small bundles of striped muscle. There is a curious resemblance to cardiac muscle in places owing to a tendency to lateral branching, hut it is not like cardiac muscle in other respects.
~~I~IT~~~~~~~ em.
0
2
5
FIG.
I .
Cland acini were not found, the only glandCllar elements being the rudimentary sweat gland., referred to, and there were no hair follicles. Nervc clements were also absent, but owin g to late fixation, they wen' not likely to be demonstrable and need not necessarily be excluded. " D ermoid cysts" are more accurately termed " teratoid cysts" (l\Iuir) since they contain not only structures related to the skin, such as epidermis, sebaceous material. degenerated epithelium, etc., but also teeth and gland-like structures lin ed with columnar epithelium representing the respiratory and alim entary tracts in addition to bone, cartilage, connective tissue, and muscle. According to l\Iuir, " In the common type of teratom~ or ' dermoid cyst: there is usually a large cyst lined by striatili ed squamous epithelium and containing hair and sebaceous material; while at one sid e there is an elevation representing the head from which the hairs take origin and not infrequently tceth project. Other tissues are variously represented.
Dermoid Cyst in a Cat
511
"TERATOMATl\ a re thus the result of ma.ldevelopment of stmctures of the three germinal layers derived from a to tipotent cell and have not n ecessaril? the essen tial features of true tumours, that is indefinite autonomol1S prolife ra tion. Some remain without undergoing much change and whilst enl a rgement of the ovaria n forme; takes place ch 'efiy by accum ula tion of secreti on within the cyst."
Th e theory most commonl y accepted regarding the origin of such tumours is based upon Cohnheim 's hypothesis th at in the course of clevelopm ent groups of cell s mi ght be separa ted or disloca ted from
rm ron qlllllllllllllllllll/l.lJ.4llilll1L4Lllii Ctll
C
2
4
5
FIG. 2.
their normal relationships and exist in " rests."
3.
dominant condition as
" Anoth er \"ie~\" i~ that teratomata are cleri,"cd from the male or female germ cells. Such -:ells may be regarded as totipotent after fertilisat ion, i.e., "'hen union with a cell of the opposite sex takes place. " . . It has also been supposed that teratomata might arise from fertilised polar bodies, but any substantial evidence in support of this appear ..; to be wanting." (::IIuir.)