404 THE SPLEEN AND THYMUS. 



appears translucent, and the distribution of the degenerated areas may be 

 readily seen by holding a thin slice up to the light. The spleen may be 

 alone affected, or there may be similar degenerations in other organs. 



PIGMENTATION. 



This may occur as the result of the decomposition of haemoglobin in 

 the organ or elsewhere, under a great variety of conditions : thus after 

 hsemorrhagic infarctions, small multiple haemorrhages, acute hyperplastic 

 spleuitis, and in haemachromatosis, etc. Or the pigment may be anthra- 

 cotic and be brought to the organs from the lungs or bronchial nodes ; 



FIG. 208. AMYLOID DEGENKRATION OF THE GLOMERULI OF THE SPLEEN "SAGO SPLEEN." 



bile pigment may also be deposited in the spleen in jaundice. The pig- 

 ment may lie in the walls of the smaller arteries, in the cells and reticu- 

 lum of the pulp, or free in the latter tissue, or in the follicles. It is 

 usually quite unevenly distributed. The pigment may be red, brown, 

 or black. According to Weigert anthracotic pigment may be sometimes 

 seen with the naked eye in the periphery of the glomeruli as dark 

 crescents. 



DISTURBANCES OF THE CIRCULATION. 



Anaemia, This may be associated with general anaemia, but it is not 

 always present in this condition. When marked and unassociated with 

 other lesions the spleen is apt to be diminished in size, the capsule more 

 or less wrinkled, the cut surface dry and lighter in color than normal, 

 the trabeculae unduly prominent. 



In this, as in other alterations simply of the blood content of the 

 spleen, neither the gross nor microscopical appearances are constant, be- 



