db adie + . anol - oe . cee eT = ep tae we UTIL a ot : _ eo . ee ee ee ee reeree Bsee ee ew Te eee ee Be ee rr a U.S. ARMED FORCES MEDICAL JOURNAL romatous, 59 tuberculoid, and 2 mixed. As shown in table 20, 83 additional cases clinically suspicious for leprosy were found in the Saipan and Palau districts during the course of the survey. None were reported from the Marshall Islands district. ; Fable 20. Results of surcer for clinically suspicious eases of leprosy, Saipan, Palau, and Marshall Islands* Districts District and islandor i No.of ! atoll Cases a oe we ee ee ee : : jy . . ne , ‘ Saipan: Baipao Island : Palau & |__| 65 Lamotrek Atoll re ato No.of easeS 0 ww ee . Tota] . Districtand istaad or 18 Palau—Continued Yap islands Koror Island Satawal [stand Woleai Atol!' 3 2 2 2 3 Fals Islacedt 1 4 Babelthuap Island Elato Ato!l 1 * No clinically suspicious cases of leprosy for Marshall Lslands district. ij The fact that the true macular lesion is not readily recognized by other than specialists in the field may have reduced the discovery rate for leprosy in this survey. Recognition of leprosy was especially dificult because of the prevalence of tinea versicolor and traumatic contracture, both of which required differentiation from the disease. Personnel conducting the survey were reluctant to make a diagnosis of leprosy where there was any question of itscertainty. Diseases of ear. Inflammatory diseases of the ear occurred at the rate of 9.8 per 1,000 inhabirants. The majority of cases were in the Saipan district where the rate was 26.4 per 1,901) persons. The rate in the Marshall Islands district was 1i4 and only 0.0 in the Palau district. The most prevalent disease of the ear was “infection, diffuse. ex- ternal auditory meatus.” It isan interesting fact that of the 161 cases reported, 101 were on Saipan Island. It is not known whether personnel conducting the survey were move thorough in making examinations on this island than they were elsewhere or whether an epidemic was In occurrence at the time of the survey. ree ee ee Other conditions, Degenerative joint disease was rather prevalent, showing a rate of 7U.t per 1000 inhabitants in the three districts conibined. Rates were highese in the Palau district and lowest in the Saipan district: This disease was most prevalent among the aged. A total of 325 neoplastic diseases was reported, establishing a prevalence rate of 14.7 per 1000, Only 11 neoplasms were proved malignant, although other malignancies were suspected. The malig- 501322 1220 P| . : VOLUME 10, No. 10