372 



HISTOLOGY OF THE MORBID PROCESSES. 



2. Rhabdomyoma. The striated muscle-fibres of rhabdomyomata 

 are often so imperfectly developed that they are difficult of recognition. 

 They are much more attenuated than the normal fibres, and may be 

 reduced to very narrow and tapering structures that possess only traces 

 of striation. Staining with eosin will often aid their detection among 



FIG. 337. 



Isolated muscle-fibres from a rhabdomyoma of the oesophagus. (Wolfensberger.) a, 6, 

 appearances simulating a sarcolemma, probably due to adherent fragments of the inter- 

 cellular substance. 



the fibres of the connective tissue surrounding them, as it stains the 

 contractile substance a coppery-red. The nuclei of the muscle-cells 

 are frequently numerous, and may occupy the centre of the fibre, 

 the imperfectly formed contractile substance lying at the periphery. 

 In some rare cases the tumor is composed almost exclusively of 



