NECROTIZING EFFECT OF PHENOL ON NORMAL-TISSUES AND ON TUMORS - A STUDY ON POSTOPERATIVE AND CADAVER SPECIMENS

We investigated the necrotizing effect of a 75% alcoholic solution of phenol on normal tissue harvested during surgery (muscles, fatty or co nnective tissue) or post mortem (peripheral nerves, arteries, epiderma l tissue, joint and epiphyseal cartilage) and on tumor tissue (60 samp les freshly harvested from patients suffering from bone tumors). The n ecrotizing effect was measured by determining the thickness of the cel l layers demonstrating nuclear pyknosis or necrosis after 2 min of phe nolization in a light microscope by ocular measurements in mum. No eff ect could be seen in epidermal tissue and in cartilage, whereas all ot her normal tissues exhibited necrotic zones between 40 and 500 mum. In all the tumors except those with chondromatous tissue, necrotic zones between 40 and 1000 mum were found. No difference in extension of the necrotic zone was seen between specimens from benign and malignant tu mors and tumor-simulating processes. Phenolization cannot be recommend ed for the treatment of chondromatous tumors.