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CEOSredpeeaes
“Minimal hypofunction of the gland may have been missed in the past,
since the apparently normal PBI (Protein-Bound Iodine)
levels may have
been spuriously high, the true thyroxine level being masked by the
elevated iodoprotein component charactersitic of the Marshallese."
(p. 42)
[emphasis added]
While it cannot be stated with any certainty that no new thyroid nodules
will be found (two new possible cases were found during the 1972 survey) it is
most likely that if they are found, they will be in persons who were less than
ten years of age when exposed, although so far there have been three cases
(including one on Utirik) in persons older than 20 years and one case in persons
older than 10 years (12 years old, exposed on Ailinginae).
This has been borne
out in the case of the Lucky Dragon fishermen who have not developed such
nodules.
This may be due to their generally older age (18-39)-and possibly due
to the fact that much of their drinking water, unlike that of the Marshallese,
may have come from water tanks not affected by fallout.
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At present, as for the most part in the past, surgery is carried out in
the United States by experts in the field, such as Dr. Brown Dobyns at the
Cleveland Metropolitan Memorial Hospital, and Dr. Bentley Colcock of the Lahey
Clinic.
The Committee, however, in reviewing the reports, takes special note
of one case, no. 21, who was operated on at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Guam
during August of 1964.
In Appendix 6, Hospital Summaries of Thyroid Surgical
Cases, elaven and twelve year report, page 96, the summary indicates that "One
parathyroid gland was identified after its pedicle was divided... and this
wae implanted in the bally of the right sternomastoid gland.
No other para-
thyroida were seen, and none were subsequently found in the specimen by the
pathologist,"
Later reactions of the patient indicated that the parathyroid
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