Rongelap 45

HOSPITAL OF THE MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER,
BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY

(NAME)

UPTON, NEW YORK 11973

8-45-41R

Area Code S16 YAphank 4-6262

(UNIT NO)

DISCHARGE SUMMARY

ADMITTED:

June 2, 1973

DISCHARGED:

June 10, 1973

This 5l-year-old Marshallese woman was
brought to this Hospital for study of

possible thyroid nodularity and evaluation of physical status for thyroid surgery.
MEDICAL HISTORY:
centimeters in
uncertainty as
history it was
adenopathy and

The examination in March revealed a

Suspicious area of firmness about 2.5
diameter in the region of the lower right thyroid pole. There was
to whether it was in the thyroid gland, but because of her radiation
thought surgical exploration was indicated. There was no Lymphshe appeared euthyroid.

She was exposed to fallout radiation in
1954, receiving about 69 rads whole-body
gamma radiation and about 134 rads to her thyroid gland from absorption of radioiodines from the fallout. She had mild radiation effects with slight transient
hematological depression and superficial beta burns to the skin. She recovered from
these effecta within the year and in subsequent years only minor medical findings

were noted.
Among these were pleural thickening of the right hemidiaphragm, chronic
endocervicitis, gonorrhea, pingueculae (left) and partial prolapse of the vaginal

wall. She has always appeared euthyroid and several thyroxin levels were in the
normal range,

though the March level was somewhat low.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:

This lady was well-nourished and somewhat
overweight. The thyroid examination
revealed an area of firmness as described above, in the lower right thyroid region

near the clavicle. Again, it was uncertain as to whether this was actually thyroid
tissue being palpated. The patient appeared euthyroid and no lymphadenopathy was
noted.
The physical examination was otherwise generally negative except for slight

cardiac enlargement and eye findings noted above.
LABORATORY _AND X-RAY DATA:
appeared normal.

The thyroid scans showed no evidence of
thyroid nodularity and the thyroid gland

The RAI uptake was normal and the response to TSH stimlation was

good. Her chest x-ray showed slight cardiac enlargement and
diaphragm on the right from scarring, probably due to an old
The hemogram was normal except for a high sedimentation rate
seen in the Marshallese, particularly the women). The blood
were generally norm).
HOS P

ES

some tenting of the
inflammatory disease.
(which is frequently
chemistry findings

During her 8-day stay here, she remained
generally asymptomatic exce.. for slight
pain in che right shoulder at night relieved by aspirin, and nasal congestion on
several occasions which was relieved by nose drops.
She was discharged

ONL 720A

- 124 -

Select target paragraph3