. The thyroid gland in health and disease. plasia to fibrosis, and thenutritional and other factors which determine variations in thepicture, have been fully discussed in an earlier part of this book. These changes result in all cases in greater or lesser degreesof atrophy and fibrosis (figs. 24, 70), so that as a rule the glandis diminished in size or may be wholly atrophied. It is paleyellowish-white in colour and is firm in consistency. Its fibrous PARATHYROID GLANDS 173 tissue may be swollen and infiltrated and it imay be invaded bylymphocytes. These cells may be very numerous and lie incl
. The thyroid gland in health and disease. plasia to fibrosis, and thenutritional and other factors which determine variations in thepicture, have been fully discussed in an earlier part of this book. These changes result in all cases in greater or lesser degreesof atrophy and fibrosis (figs. 24, 70), so that as a rule the glandis diminished in size or may be wholly atrophied. It is paleyellowish-white in colour and is firm in consistency. Its fibrous PARATHYROID GLANDS 173 tissue may be swollen and infiltrated and it imay be invaded bylymphocytes. These cells may be very numerous and lie inclumps or surround existing vesicles (Kojima). Their presenceis limited to certain cases only in Vv^hom a definite group of mentalsymptoms may be present {vide infra). Similar Ijanphocyticinfiltration may occur in the atrophic thyroids resulting fromGraves disease. The severity of the symptoms cannot be gauged by the sizeof the gland ; these depend solely on the degree of parenchymadestruction and of deficiency of secretion. In some extreme. ^ ^ Fig. 70.—Section of thyroid from an old case of myxoedeina showing its completeconversion into fibrous tissue. (From a specimen in the possession oE the late SirVictor Horsley, ) cases the organ is converted into a mass of fibrous tissue (fig. 70) ;in others which are less severe some variable amount of paren-chyma tissue and vesicles may be found. In the myxoedema ofadults the thyroids function is rarely wholly suppressed, butis so diminished as to bring about the infiltration of the tissueswhich is characteristic of this condition. Parathyroid Glands.—It is uncertain to what extent theseare involved in the process which gives rise to myxoedema, but the 174 MYXCEDEMA fact that tetany is a frequent manifestation in goitrous women inthe Himalayas who are the subjects of partial myxoedema, andthat many cretins show signs of extensive involvement of thecentral nervous system which are referable at least in part tolesions of the par
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyorkwilliamwood
