BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY | Name
HOSPITAL of the MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER

(Rongelap 18)

UPTON, NEW YORK

DISCHARGE SUMMARY
ADMITTED:

PAVILION

Aug. 26, 1969

DISCHARGED:

Hospital for evaluation of a nodular-thyroid gkand.

to fallout.

UNIT+ NO,
08-22-58R
1

OPD

Sept. 22, 1969

This 36-year-old Marshallese
woman was admitted to this
The patient was 2l-years of
age at the time of exposure

She was in the more heavily exposed group, receiving an estimated 175

rads of whole body gamma radiation, beta radiation to the skin, and internal
absorption of radioisotopes,

from radioiedines

Her thyroid gland received an estimated 160 rads

absorbed, plus 175 rads from whole body exposure,

She had

signs of mild hematopoietic depression shortly after exposure but no signs of

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infection or bleeding and by one year her blood elements ‘had recovered to normal
levels, During the early period she also experienced mild transient beta burns
to the skin.
HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS:

Her thyroid abnormality was
detected for the first time this
past March when a multi-lobulated mass in the left lower pole of the thyroid

was noted. Up until chis time she had always appeared to be euthyroid.
A
serum sample taken at that time of examination showed a T-4 level of 3.9 ug.%.

This is the third adult case
in the more heavily exposed

group that has developed thyroid pathology.

The patient claims she had been

taking her thyroid-hormone therapy regularly. Two of her sons, who were less
than 10 years of age at exposure, have had excisions of benign nodules during
the past two years,
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:

This mother of nine children
appeared to be in excellent
health. She appeared to be euthyroid, The only positive findings of significance
in her physical examination were referable to the thyroid gland. Since the
examination in March a discrete mass in the right upper pole was noted for the
first time,

The mass was hard and spherical,

noted in the lower left lobe.

Less distinct nodulation was

No lymphadenopathy was noted.

LABORATORY AND X-RAY DATA:

The thyroid studies revealed
;
the following: PBI 9.2 ug.%,
total iodine 9,2 ug.%, Llodoprotein 2.3 ug.%, and T-4 6,2 ug.%; thyroid autoantibodies
less than 1-16; thyroid scan showed a non-functioning nodule in the right upper
lobe; uptake of radioiodine showed normal function of the gland; iodine uptake
response to TSH stimulation, however, was poor. The 997. srudies showed good
trapping function; cholesterol 172 mg.%, esters 120 mg.%. Her BMR was +16,
Positive stool examinations from ascaries and trichuris was the only other positive
laboratory finding of significance. The high sedimentation rate and reversal
of the A/G ratio is common to the Marshallese people. X-ray of the chest was
negative,

BNL 720A

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