156 



SPINDLE-CELL SARCOMATA. 



fibrous membranes, fasciae, slieatlis of vessels and nerves, the 

 subcutaneous and submucous connective tissues ; in a word, its 

 seats of election are the same as those of fibroma ; indeed, the 

 two not unfrequently occur together (e.g. in tlie uterus). More- 

 over, in all such sarcomata there are parts where the spindle-cell 

 tissue passes into fibrous connective tissue ; tumours occur, which 

 arc made up of both these tissues in equal proportions ; so that 

 the connexion between this variety of sarcoma and fibroma is 

 so intimate as almost to amount to identity. 



V. The large-celled spindle-cell sarcoma is much more than a 

 mere variety of the preceding form. It differs from it in one 

 most important point ; the disproj^ortionate development of its 

 cells as compared with all the remaining elements of its struc- 

 ture. The spindle-cells may attain the very considerable thick- 

 ness of '015", and a length so enormous, that their two ex- 

 tremities, under a magnifying power of 200 diameters, are 

 separated from each other by three times the diameter of the 

 microscopic field. The thickest part of the cell corresponds in 

 position to the large, roundly-oval nucleus, with its lustrous 

 nucleolus. The protoplasm is finely-granular and soft in the 

 neighbourhood of the nucleus ; as we recede from the nucleus it 

 becomes more homogeneous. No cell-membrane can be shown 

 to .exist; but the processes occasionally exhibit so marked a 

 degree of tenacity, and so high a refractive power, that we must 

 regard them as made up of protoplasm which has grown rigid. 

 The name " spindle-ccU" implies the existence of two such pro- 



FiG. 49. 



Large-celled spindle-ccll sarcoma, after Virclov: 



