SOLID OVARIAN TUMORS.
These are much more rare than cystic tumors. They seldom maintain the character of perfect solidity, for whether fibrous, sarcomatous, melanotic, cretaceous, myomatous, cancerous, epithelial, tubercular, glanderous, or actinomycotic, they are usually associated with cysts to a greater or less extent. Not only are they liable to stimulate the formation of cysts, but the special heteroplasia may become engrafted on the walls of pre-existing cysts, as well as on normal tissues.
The symptoms of the solid tumors are in the main, those of the cystic form, and treatment resolves itself into extirpation by castration. Its success will vary according to the nature of the tumor, sarcoma, melanoma and carcinoma being especially liable to recur in the same or in distant situations, and the same is true of the colonizing with infectious germs (glanders, tuberculosis, actinomycosis) which are presumably already present in other parts of the body. Castration has, however, this recommendation, it secures the removal of the entire diseased organ, and if the morbid process or infection is confined to that only, it holds out the best prospect of recovery.