SARCOMA.
Simple sarcoma (qapt, flesh), or cellulo vascular growth, presents itself as a mass of variable dimensions,— those of a hazel-nut and of a cocoa-nut are the extremes we have seen. Of oval or, less commonly, spherical outline, its surface may be even and tole rably smooth, or nodulated (U. C. Mus.). Sarcoma is particularly elastic ; varies much in consistence and density ; breaks sharply under the nail, in the direction of its fibres ; is rather crisp than tough, unless in the site of its cellulo-fibrous !ocular walls ; exhibits on section a tolerably smooth, glossy, semi transparent surface, such inequalities as exist depending upon the unequal elasticity of its cont,aining and contained elements ; is free from greasiness, either to the look or feel ; is usually of pale yellowish or buff colour in the main, presenting here and there reddish . or more rarely lilac-tinted spots, or strim, or (it may be) a more or less uniform red hue ; and yields on pressure a small quantity of slightly glutinous, thin, yellowish, transparent fluid. The vessels of sarcoma may be pretty equally distributed through its substance, or set in a sort of patch-work.
These growths are essentially disposed to become encysted. Their cyst, vascular and cellular like themselves, may be fibrous in part, and is formed both of natural cellular tissue condensed, and of exudation-matter solidified. This secondary or pseudo-cyst adheres closely to their surface, and appears continuous with the cellular and thin, or fibrous, thick, and opaquely white, membranous septa of the growth.
Molecular matter, granules, spherical, oval, and caudate cells, and fibres form the ulti mate constituents of sarcoma. Its spherical cell seems to us identical with the common inflammatory exudation cell. (See PSEUDO TissuEs.) The oval cell, of larger size (mea sluing .00073 of an English inch and upwards, according to some estimates by Milner), is provided with a dark, well defined, but small nucleus : such cells are sometimes enclosed within a mother cell-wall of proportional dimensions, and afford clear evidence of endo genous procreation. Slightly elongated at
opposite ends, as they sometimes are, they eventually pass into the state of caudate or spindle-shaped cell ( RR-. 93). Such cau date cells are either arranged in linear juxta position, as above ; or they are scattered loosely through the mass. They are not plainly nucleated, as a general rule ; but acetic acid brings out a parietal nucleus. They seem to pass by an easy transition into fibres ; and eventually these fibres acquire for the greater part the characters of those of cel lular tissue, but occasionally of fibrous, and yet more rarely (we have seen this) of elastic texture. The molecular and granular matter of sarcoma is probably in part fatty ; but oil globules are of rare occurrence.
Sarcoma is mainly composed of albumen ; but (especially when a c3st with thickened processes exists) will yield a small quantity of gelatin by boiling.
There are probably few sites in which sar coma does not form. We have seen it in the cellular tissue under the lower jaw ; in the substance of both maxillae (whence it has fre quently been removed with successful results); under the periosteum of the long bones, or (more rarely) in the actual substance of these ; in the mamma ; in the eye; in connection with fibrous textures, as the dura mater, Sec.
Ilmmorrhage, calcification, and suppuration occur in sarcoma ; the latter with great rarity. We have never seen cancer within the area of a sarcoma.
Condensation and detrusion of surrounding parts are mechanically caused by this growth ; it has no intrinsic tendency to affect those parts otherwise, though inflammatory changes may, from over distention, be induced among them.