914 Diseases of the Spleen. 



Literature. Bourret & Druille, Eec, 1887. 300. — Duschanek, T. Z., 1894. 

 353. — Kappel, Z. f. Flhyg., 1904. XIV. 53. — Koch, B. t. W., 1893. 127. 



New Form::'iiions in the Spleen. The most frequent of these 

 are melano-sarcomas which occur particularly in white horses 

 (Deste) either in the form of fairly large metastatic growths 

 which may become as large as a child's head, or in the form 

 of diffuse infiltrations, and at times they become the cause of 

 considerable enlargement of the spleen. Barrier observed in 

 one horse first an enlargement of the circumference of the 

 abdomen, the desire to eat being good and the ability to work 

 satisfactory. Not until about three weeks before death did the 

 animal begin to lose weight; the appetite was disturbed, the 

 weakness increased progressively, the walk became staggering 

 and at times colicky symptoms appeared. On rectal examina- 

 tion a large swelling was found in the left half of the abdominal 

 cavity. 



Of similar clinical significance is the enlargement of the 

 spleen in amyloid degeneration, in metastatic carcinoma or in 

 the presence of large tubercles (especially in cattle and hogs, 

 sometimes also in horses) or of echinococcus cysts. Direct ex- 

 amination can at most show the splenic enlargement -which 

 may occasionally cause respiratory distress (Barrier), the 

 cause of the enlargement must be determined from other patho- 

 logical signs. Laendler succeeded on rectal examination in a 

 heifer in palpating the very knobby posterior border of the 

 spleen which was increased about 5 times in volume through the 

 presence of echinococcus. 



Necrosis of the Spleen. This was found by Zietschmann 

 and Poetsch (S. B. 1903, 259) in an apparently healthy heifer 

 which had been killed for meat. As the cause of the necrosis 

 a complete thrombosis of the splenic vein may probably be 

 held responsible. 



Atrophy of the Spleen. Mayer (Z. f. Flhyg. 1909, XIX, 

 251) found in a sow which had been killed for meat a far ad- 

 vanced senile atrophy of the spleen which was only 6 cm. long 

 and 4.5 cm. wide. 



