Schlumberger and Lucki— Tumors in Fishes 



673 



eye, while the right appeared grossly normal; how- 

 ever, on section a microscopic tumor nodule was 

 found between the retina and choroid. The author 

 believes that the choroid is the origin of all these 

 tumors and that the small tumor in the right eye 

 was primary, not metastatic. Jahnel regarded these 

 tumors, all of which were non-pigmented, as sar- 

 comas. It b possible however that they actually 

 were amelanotic melanomas. In this connection see 

 the recent papers by Levine and Gordon ( 1 11 b) , and 

 by Gordon (60a). 



Abstracts of other reported cases of sarcoma 



BucNioN, 1875: On the left side, near the base of 

 the tail of a minnow Phoxhms laevis was a pea-sized, 

 black tumor which had appeared in a period of 2 weeks. 

 The overlying skin was intact, though the scales were 

 absent. The neoplasm, which was moderately soft and 

 very vascular, contained many giant cells. The bbck 

 color was only present within and immediately beneath 

 the skin and was due to the normal pigment cells of 

 this region. Near the tip of the caudal fin was a small 

 black speck from which the author was able to isolate 

 myzosporidia. The main "tumor" may likewise have 

 been the result of such an infection, representing merely 

 chronic inflammation with foreign body giant cells. The 

 author identified the growth as a giant cell sarcoma. 



Bland-Sutto.v, 1885: A tumor was present on the 

 posterior border of the dorsal fin of a goldfish Carassius 

 auratus. The author states that it exhibited all the 

 histologic characteristics of a spindle cell sarcoma. 



Seumer, 1888: In a brief communication the author 

 lists the cases of animal tumors that came to his 

 attention throughout 2i years at the Veterinary Institute 

 in Dorpat. He mentions a sarcoma in a goldfish, but 

 gives no details. 



Ohlmacher, 1898: Immediately beneath the dorsal 

 fin, and embedded in the trunk musculature of a lake 

 pike Esox lucUts, was a spherical white tumor 5 cm. 

 in diameter. It infiltrated the surrounding muscle 

 and was intimately connected with the vertebrae. Lying 

 beneath the peritoneum were 12 widely scattered tumors 

 varying from 1 to 3 cm. in diameter. The visceral peri- 

 toneum likewise bore 24 firm white nodules 1 to 2 cm. 

 in width; no lesions were found in the viscera. The 

 "primary" tumor in the abdominal wall resembled small 

 round cell sarcoma of man. It consisted of large collec- 

 tions of densely packed round or oval cells with promi- 

 nent nuclei surrounded by scanty cytoplasm. About 

 thete collections of cells was a delicate fibrillary and 

 richly cellular connective tissue. The metastases were 

 similar in structure, except that the stroma was more 

 abundant. This tumor should probably be regarded as 

 a lymphosarcoma. 



Plehn, 1906: In the trunk musculature of a brook 

 trout Salvelinus fontinolis was a larRe cystic tumor that 

 contained 117 cc. of cloudy yellow fluid in which were 

 found leukocytes, and occasional bacteria. Similar tu- 

 mors in trout from \ht same lake had been described 



in 1S84 by Bonnet, and later by Holer. Thot«h much 

 of the tumor was neoocic, mitotic figure* wen '•*««m~^ 

 in the healthy poitioos. Moat of the tnnor cdb were 

 round and had laiige nuclei, but nesu of tpindle cdb 

 were also present The author's '«ir*Tft wis cytto- 

 sarcoma. 



Plchn, 1906: A chub ldm$ Urns, 40 cm. long and 

 4 or 5 years old, bore a slightly bulging mast in the neck 

 muscles, directly behind the head. On rtiwcctton. a 

 sohd white tumor the siM of a pigeon egg was found. 

 Though the center was necrotic, the perifibeiy was ac- 

 tiveiy growing and bad invaded the surroundbg tiiBiie. 

 HistologicaUy it couistcd chiefly of small round ceOs. 

 thou^ spindle cells were also present. Scattered among 

 the tumor cells were numbers of well differentiated 

 mucous cells. 



Plehn, 1906: Near the dorsum of the right side 

 of a minnow Phoxmus laevis was a pea-siaed tisnor. His- 

 tologically it consisted of proliferating pleomocphic 

 cells, the nuclei of which were very large, W ?y *iit* d , 

 and even ring-shaped. Many mitoses containing ab- 

 normal numbers of chromosomes were present 



Plehs, 1906: A tumor arising in the testicle of 

 a crucian carp Carassms carassius contained many large 

 and small cysts. The walls were smooth and lined by 

 flattened connective tissue; the cavities were filled with 

 fluid or a colloidal mass. Some areas were very cellubr, 

 other regions were made up of fibrous tissue. The 

 author identified the lesion as a cystic fibrosarcoma. 



Plehn, 1906: An ^g-shaped mass, 4 x 5.5 cm., 

 was present deep in the back muscles of *ie Nea," 

 Chondrostoma nasus. The tumor, iriiich was white, 

 spong>', and edematous, consisted of a delicate con- 

 nective tissue reticulum among which were occasional 

 multinucleate giant cells. Dilated lymphatics were 

 numerous. 



Schkoeoess, 1908: On the pigmented nirface of a 

 flounder Psetta maeotica were 8 granular tumors, 

 yellow-gray in color. Some were almost spherical, with 

 a diameter of 5 cm., others, flat and oblong, and as 

 much as 10 cm. in length. The masses were soft and 

 infiltrated the adjacent skin and muscle. Histdogically 

 the parench>'ma was composed of round cells of oni- 

 form sixe, with many mitotic figures. (Lymphosar> 

 coma ?) 



ScBTOEDUts, 1908: A spindle cell sarcoma b the 

 tail muscles of a scorpion fish Scorpaena parens grew 

 rapidly for two months when the fish was kept in an 

 aquarium. Cachexia became marked and the animal 

 died. Near the anal fin was an ulcerated area. 3 cm. in 

 diameter; on section the adjacent muscles were found 

 to be extensively infiltrated by the firm while tumor. 

 In the liver was a white nodule the sixe of a pea that 

 protruded above the sinrface and infiltrated the liver 

 tissue. Under the epicarditmi of the heart were 6 white 

 nodules, each the sixe of a pin-head. Two larger firm 

 nodules were found In the wall of the auricle, occ u p yi n g 

 its entire thickness. Kstologically the nodules b the 

 liver and heart were similar to the primary leskm which 

 consisted of bundles of connective tissue that were 



