25

lar disease was probablyof lower incidencein the
Marshallese. There were two low readings in the
exposed group,one in a 63-year-old woman with
abdominalcarcinosis and ascites of ovarian origin
and the other in an 81-year-old man ( #46) with

marked hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
4, Veins. There was nearly a total absence of
peripheral venous disease ~ thrombophlebitis,
phlebothrombosis, varicose veins, or hemorrhoids -

in both men and women. Only one individual
showed varicose veins in the lowerlegs, in minimal
degree.

5. Other Cardiac Conditions. No patients were
observed with luetic, metabolic, or nutritional
Table !7

Incidence of Individuals With X-Ray Evidence

of Osteoarthritis in Rongelap, by Age and Sex

(Only those rated as 2+ or higher are included)
Persons with 2+ osteoarthritis
No. in

Age. vr

age group

0- 9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-39
>60

28
23
17

Number

Ge

Males

Total

16
8
5

0
0
0
2
]
3
4

106

12

Total

23
17
16
12
3
6
11

0
0
1
0
0
4
8

88

13

Total

Table 16 shows the major ophthalmological
findings. No major differences were found between the exposed and the unexposed groups except, as has been noted in thepast, for a slightly
greater incidence of pterygii, pingueculae, corneal

scars, and pigmentation in the exposed group. As
a whole both groups showed vision and accommodation levels above the average in the United
States. The absence of glaucoma was also notable.
Theincidenceofretinal arteriosclerosis, squints,

and congenital diseases was very low. Nocases of
basal cell carcinoma of the eyelidsor of retinitis
pigmentosa were seen.

The degree of changes in accommodation, visual acuity, arcus senilis, and retinal arteriosclerosis
have been plotted against age. The plots show no

exposed populations. (See Figures 19 to 22 and
further discussion tn the section on aging.) |
Slit-lamp examinations of the lens showed no
opacities in the exposed Marshallese resembling
those that had been noted in the irradiated Japanese.
ARTHRITIS SURVEY
1. Osteoarthritis

Theincidenceof osteoarthritis, as indicated by

the hand and wrist x-ray survey, is shown, by age
and sex, in Table 17. The small number ofindi-

Males Plus Females
O- 9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
>60

OPHTHALMOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS

obviousdifferences between the exposed and un-

Females
0~ 9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
>60

formsof heart disease. One evident case of inactive
rheumatic heart disease occurred in a boy of14
years (2-76) with typical signs of mitral valvular
involvement and moderate cardiac enlargement.
He was symptom-free andhis electrocardiogram
was normal.

5l
40
33
2!
19
14
16

0
0
l
2
1
9
12

0
0
3.0
9.5
5.3
64.3
75.0

194

25

12.9

viduals in the susceptible age groups precludes an
accurate estimation of the prevalence; however,it
does not appearto be grossly different frc™m that
found in the United States white popuiation

studied by Dr. Alice Waterhouse and cited by

Blumberget al.? In accordance with generalclinical experience, there was no close correlation between x-ray findings and clinical symptoms of
arthritis, i.e., subjects with quite advanced osteoarthritis as determined by x-ray often had no complaints referable to their joints.

Select target paragraph3