A Text-book of Diseases of WomenPenrose, Charles B. (Charles Bingham)
Science
A Text-book of Diseases of Women
Penrose, Charles B. (Charles Bingham)
Women -- Diseases
Palpation reveals the smooth, spherical character of the growth, or
the lobulated surface from the presence of secondary cysts. Perhaps an
area of marked tenderness may be discovered, which often shows the seat
of peritoneal inflammation and adhesion. In the papillomatous tumors
that have become perforated, irregular masses of papillary growths
may sometimes be felt through the abdominal walls, situated either on
the surface of the tumor or in some other portion of the abdomen. The
association of such masses with a cystic tumor of the ovary and ascites
renders the diagnosis of papillary cysts very certain.
If the tumor is non-adherent and of medium size, it may be moved from
side to side or upward in the abdomen.
Fluctuation may often be elicited by palpation, and is most marked in
the unilocular cysts with thin contents. If the contents be thick,
as in many of the glandular cysts, or if the cyst be multilocular,
fluctuation may not be obtained. The wave of fluctuation is interfered
with by intervening septa.
Percussion reveals a central area of flatness which marks the most
prominent part of the tumor. Intestinal resonance may be obtained above
and to the sides of the cyst, and in some cases below it. In instances
of this kind a central area of flatness is found surrounded by a ring
of resonance.
This phenomenon is very different from that which appears if the
fluid accumulation is free in the peritoneum. In the latter case the
fluid gravitates to the flanks when the woman is upon her back, and
the intestines float to the front, so that there is a central area of
resonance, with dulness to the sides. In the very unusual cases in
which gas is contained in the cyst-cavity the area of flatness will be
replaced by an area of a tympanitic note.
If the woman sits up or lies on either side, the relation between the
areas of flatness and resonance is unaltered in the case of an ovarian
cyst, while, as is well known, if the fluid be free it will gravitate
to the most dependent portion of the abdomen.
Auscultation reveals nothing of importance in regard to ovarian tumors.
It is of value in enabling one to make a differential diagnosis between
an ovarian tumor and pregnancy.
Vaginal examination in the case of a large tumor shows the character
and the position of the lower portion of the growth, and sometimes
enables the physician to determine upon which side the tumor had
started. In ruptured papillomatous cysts the papillary masses may
sometimes be felt behind the uterus when they cannot be detected by the
abdominal hand.
The details of the natural history and pathological features already
given will often enable the physician to make a differential diagnosis
among the different kinds of ovarian cysts. Such a differential
diagnosis, however, is of no importance whatever, as all such tumors
require similar operative treatment.
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