Intubation of the Larynx and Air-Passages, with a Description of a New Instrument as an Aid to Certain Operations
Authors: T. Annandale
Journal: BMJ (1889)

material.Microscopically it contained hyaline cartilage and& acinous adenoid tissue lying in young connective tissue.The glandular epithelium was cubical.Fig. 8.-A persistent thyroid duct.Shattock sums up his clear account of this tumour to this effect: "The specimen is doubtlessly related to the congenital sacral tumours, and has characters indicative of an early intra-uterine formation in some aberrant embryonic structure."Shattock also informed me that he could not find a thyroid body distinct from this tumour.This is a point of some importance, for 1 am of opinion that the tumour originated in the thyroid diverticulum, and must be regarded as an aberration analogous to those occur- ring in the post-anal gut.In support of this opinion I will adduce the following evidence.The museum of St. Thomas's Hospital contains the upper part of the body of a mature feetus; the neck is occupied by a very large tumour which anatomically corresponds to the thyroid body, and resembles it in general configuration.Througb the kind co- operation of Mr. Shattock I have been enabled to investigate this interesting specimen, and on making a sagittal section through it, the naked eye characters of the specimen recall in a striking man- ner those presented by congenital sacro-coccygeal tumours.The analogy however does not rest here, for on examining the tumour microscopically it is seen to be composed of loculi, varying in size from a millet seed to a small nut; the cavities contain mu- ( oid material, but it is only here and there that evidence can be obtained of a parietal epithelium; this may be aocounted for by the length of time the specimen has been preserved.The matrix of the tumour consists of richly cellular connective tissue in which tracts of well-developed hyaline cartilage occur; in many laces this cartilage is undergoing direct transformation into bone.The cartilage in this specimen is typical of that found at the end of a foetal long bone, and differs from that so common in chondri- fying sarcomata.In the latter case the cells are stellate, and do Jnot present the sharp contour so characteristic of well-formed hyaline cartilage.Thus in their naked eye character, in their minute structure snd embryological associations, this particular form of congenital i hyroid tumour corresponds so closely with the sacro-coccygeal tumours, that they ought to be grouped together.It is an interesting fact that the six obsolete canals existing in the embryo of a mammal, namely, the infundibulum, neurenteric passage, post-anal gut, cranio-pharyngeal canal, thyreo-lingual dluct, and the duct of the yolk-sac, should all have direct relation with the alimentary canal, and each be directly associated with dormoids often of considerable complexity, and with a peculiar f.rm of tumour identical in structure with the thyroid body.THE Marchiones of Dufferin and Ava has signified her willing- nP88 to become a patroness of the New Hospital for Women, in recognition of the value of the training it affords for medical wovnmen in India.PRESENTATION.-OnJanuary 15th the male members of the IrTniton class formed in connection with the St.