DIAGNOSIS—THE SARCOSPORIDIOSES 



Diagnosis. — ^The diagnosis can onty be made by removal of the 

 whole or a portion of the growth, which in most cases has the ap- 

 pearance of a nasal polypus, followed by a microscopical examina- 

 tion, when the parasite will be easily seen as a roundish cyst filled 

 with granules which, when examined under a higher power, are 

 seen to be the pansporoblasts. 



Fig. 710. — ■Rhinosporidium sebeeri Wernicke as seen at 2 in Fig. 708. 

 (X 1,000.) Ceylon Case. (Photomicrograph.) 



Prognosis. — ^This is usually said to be good, but if it can cause, 

 as we suspect, a general infection, it may be dangerous to life. 



Treatment. — ^The treatment is to remove the growth and cauterize 

 its base. 



Prophylaxis.— As we are entirely ignorant of the life-cycle of the 

 parasite or where it exists outside the human body, no remarks 

 can be made as to the prophylaxis. 



THE SARCOSPORIDIOSES. 



Definition. — Sarcosporidiosis is a chronic infection caused by the 

 invasion of the body by Sarcocystis lindemanni Rivolta, 1878, 

 Sarcocystis muvis R. Blanchard, 1885, and perhaps other allied 

 organisms. 



History. — In 1868 Lindemann found some indefinite bodies in 

 the myocardium and on the valves of the heart of a person who 

 had died of dropsy. It is thought that these bodies may possibly 

 have belonged to the genus Sarcocystis, but it is very doubtful 

 what they really represented. In 1887 Koch described the first 



