Note the absence of such findings in the less exposed 6 Ailingnae
children that received an estimated thyroid dose of 345-620 rads, the 40
Utirik children who received an estimated thyroid dose of 69-124 rads and
the 61 unexposed children of comparable age.
Though these numbers are small
they do give an idea of the dose-response relationship for these thyroid
effects.
Thyroid surgery was performed on 9 children and 2 adults.
ALL
nodules were found to be benign in the children.
One adult, a 41 year old
woman in the higher exposure group had a cancer.
In addition to those cases
with thyroid nodules, 2 boys showed atrophy of the thyroid gland with signs
of hypothyroidism.
Interestingly enough these 2 boys were the ones who
were the most retarded in growth and development.
gross appearance of the nodules at surgery.
The next slide shows the
Note the varied size of the
nodules from several millimeters to several centimeters, some being cystic,
and some hemorrhagic.
The next slide shows the microscopic characteristics
of these benign nodules.
They resemble closely adenomatous goiter usually
seen with iodine deficiency and definite radiation effects were not identified
in the glands by most pathologists.
The next slides show the gross and
microscopic appearance of the mixed papillary and follicular cancer with
localized metastases that occurred in the woman referred to above.
It has become increasingly clear that the growth retardation
noted in the children is probably associated with thyroid deficiency, even *
though a hypothyroid tendency was not detected in earlier years when the
growth retardation was first neted.
It has since been discovered that 4
high level of iodoprotein is normally present in the Marshallese people which
gives a falsely high PBI level.
This may have masked a low degree of hormone