石炭瓦斯中毒に依る脊髓軟化の1例

Softening of the Spinal Cord Caused by the Carbon monoxide Poisoning

　脊髄軟化は脳軟化に比し其報告少く殊に石炭瓦斯中毒に依るものは内外の文献に於いて稀有なるものである。茲にその1例を報告しよう。

Compared with cerebralsoftening, compara-tively few reports have been made with regard to spinalcord-softening. Especially, reports on spinalcord-softening in coal gas poisoning have been very rare.

The case of illness upon which this report was made was girl, aged 20, taken with spo-ndylitis cervicalis. She entered a small room filled with coal gas and got poisoned about one hour after having aspirated the gas.

Notable tetraplegia, dissocial anaesthesia and nutritious disturbances of the skin were observed and she died from paralysis of the respiration-muscles and ascending urinary in-fection.

As the result of histopathological examina-tions, it became clear that a large softening area was found in and around the grey subs-tances which was nourished by arteria sulco-commissuralis of 4th, 5th and 6th segments of cervical cord and that continuous hemorr-hage and cavity-building occured.

Thus, the origin for the case, the symptoms of which was very similar to transverse lesion of the cord, was traced,

With regard to the cause of softening in coal gas poisoning, a theory of the functional distur-bances of the blood circulations and a theory of the organic changes of the blood-vessels have been prevailing.

I came, through histopathological observa-tions, to a conclusion that this case fell under the category of the former theory.

Moreover, it seemed to be free from error to explain that the blood vessels of these parts formed "Locus minoris resistentiae" on account of old Uarious change.

Many kinds of clinical symptoms were ex-plained to the full by carrying out adequate pathological observations in this case.