436 TUMOURS IN THE PHARYNX AND (ESOPHAGUS. 



the post-mortem of a horse which had repeatedly suffered from sudden 

 attacks of dyspnoea, threatening death from suffocation, observed a cystoid 

 tumour as large as a hen's egg on the floor of the pharynx close in front 

 of the epiglottis. Labat operated on a horse which had suffered from 

 nasal bleeding and difficulty in breathing and swallowing. By opening 

 the larynx, and dividing the soft palate, he succeeded in removing a 

 tumour from above the larynx by the ccraseur. The growth proved to be 

 an epithelioma (compare with next chapter as to occurrence of laryngeal 

 tumours). 



Such tumours are rare in carnivora. Diericx removed from the pharynx 

 of a dog. with the help of a snare, a double polypus 2 inches long, which 

 on microscopical examination proved to be a fibroma. In spite of extended 

 practice, Moller has not yet seen similar disease in dogs. 



Tumours of the oesophagus are most frequent in ruminants, especially 

 in cattle, and may be due either to actinomyces (Sjedamgrotzky, De Jong) 

 or be simple papillomata (Schiitz). The former are usually single, the 

 latter multiple. Fessler describes a case of multiple papilloma in the 

 oesophagus of an ox. The entire surface of the (esophageal mucous 

 membrane was covered with warty brush-like outgrowths, which were only 

 the size of a grain of barley in the neighbourhood of the pharynx, but 

 became as large as a bean in the middle of the oesophagus, and formed 

 bristle-like tufts. Lower down they were not so numerous. These 

 papillomata resembled bunches of bristles, numbering thirty or more, 

 which grew from a conical base in the form of a brush. Microscopical 

 examination showed the following appearances : — The propria mucosa, 

 below the papilloma, contained spherical masses of blood-vessels, in which 

 the veins formed large cavernous spaces. The papilloma was provided 

 with a solid root containing loops of blood-vessels from which processes 

 of connective tissue extended into the threads and bristles. The connective 

 tissue was covered with epithelium. 



Beel noticed a case of multiple papilloma in the oesophagus of an ox. 

 marked by difficulty in deglutition, swelling on the left side of the neck, 

 difficulty in introducing the probang, chronic tympanites, and reduced 

 condition. Post-mortem showed " intra- oesophageal stenosis," with 

 dilatation above the contracted spot. The latter, which was of uniform 

 width, began below the pharynx, was 6§ inches in length, and ended at 

 the height of the second rib ; its greatest circumference was 9J inches, 

 the thickness of the muscular coat I inch. The mucous membrane was 

 covered with a great number of wart-like papilla? of varying size, some 

 not exceeding that of a pin's head, others as large as a hazel nut ; forty-five 

 of them were from 1 inch to 1J inches long ; it was contracted at the level 

 of the second rib, but still allowed the probang to pass. Beel believed that 

 the periodicity of the symptoms was caused by masses of food inducing 

 occasional occlusion at this spot. Microscopical examination gave similar 

 results to those described by Fessler. The growth illustrated (Fig. 348) 

 is of an analogous character — viz., papilloma coralliforme. Koch found 

 1 iiberculous abscesses in the oesophageal walls in cows. In dogs of tropical 

 countries (Java) cysts have been discovered in the oesophageal walls, 

 which were filled with spiroptera sanguinolenta, and had completely 

 occluded the oesophagus. Harms, during the autumn, found female 

 iilaria' beneath the oesophageal epithelium in sheep. In dogs spiroptera 

 sanguinolenta often occurs in the oesophagus. 



