A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 2 : $b General diseases (continued) and diseases of the digestive system
Science
A system of practical medicine. By American authors. Vol. 2 : $b General diseases (continued) and diseases of the digestive system
Medicine -- Practice
Besides a slight local oedema affecting the malleoli, scrotum, eyelids,
etc., or accompanying the cutaneous eruptions just mentioned, a more
decided infiltration of the subcutaneous cellular tissue occasionally
exists in the vicinity of the inflamed joints and tendinous sheaths,
and more rarely extends to an entire limb, which may not only be
considerably enlarged and painful and resemble a milk leg, but may be
red, hot, and tender, and excite suspicion of phlegmonous erysipelas.
Phlebitis, although infinitely less frequent than in gout, has been
observed in acute articular rheumatism.[103] Jaccoud in 1871[104]
mentioned the exceptional occurrence of subcutaneous nodosities in
rheumatism, which he says Froriep first pointed out;[105] but Homolle
states that they had been previously mentioned by Sauvage and
Chomel.[106] Since then several independent observers have met with
this affection, and Drs. Thomas Barlow and Francis Warner of London
have lately written a short valuable paper upon the subject based upon
27 cases which they had separately or conjointly investigated. From
their paper the following account is chiefly derived:[107] These
nodules may vary in number from one to fifty, and in size from that of
a pin's head to the volume of an almond, and are quite subcutaneous,
firm and elastic, painless, and freely movable. They are not usually
attached to the skin, but to the tendons, deep fasciæ, pericranium,
periosteum, etc.; the integument over them is free from heat, redness,
and infiltration, although exceptionally tenderness on pressure and
slight redness may exist over them. They are found most frequently on
the back of the elbow, the malleoli, and margins of the patella, but
occur occasionally on the extensor tendons of the hand and foot, the
scapular spine and iliac crest, the temporal ridge and superior
occipital curved line, the ear, etc. These nodules occur singly or in
clusters, and are often symmetrical; they are very rapidly developed in
crops or in succession, and last sometimes for a few hours, more
frequently from three or four days to four or five months, or even
eighteen to thirty months. The original formations may disappear, and
be succeeded by fresh ones; and sometimes, when no longer perceptible
by touch, they may be found post-mortem. Their development is
unattended by pyrexia, unless pleuritis, pericarditis, or other
condition coexist to which the pyrexia might {44} be referred. These
nodosities do not appear to suppurate or ossify or become infiltrated
with urate of soda, and histologically they resemble organizing
granulative tissue. As regards their pathological associations, Drs.
Barlow and Warner found evidences of rheumatism in 25 out of 27 cases;
a morbid condition of the heart existed in all of them, and chorea in
10 of them. Two of the conclusions formulated by the authors just
mentioned are of great importance: that these subcutaneous nodosities
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