25 Jar discase was probablyof lower incidence in the Marshallese. There were two lowreadingsin the exposed group, one in a 63-ycar-old woman with abdomigal carcinosis 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 nearlya total absence of peripheral] venous disease - thrombophlebitis, phlebothrombosis, varicose veins, or hemorrhoids — in both men and women. Only one individual showedvaricose veins in the lowerlegs, in minimal degree. 5. Other Cardiac Conditions. No patients were observed with luetic, metabolic, or nutritional Table 17 Incidence of Individuals With X-Ray Evidence of Osteoarthritis in Rongelap, by Age and Sex (Only those rated as 2+ or higher are included) Age, yr No. in Persons with 2+ osteoarthritis age group Number % Males 0- 9 10-19 20-29 30-39 28 23 17 9 0 0 0 2 50-59 >60 8 5 5. 4 40-49 16 Total 106 forms of heart disease. One evident case of inactive rheumatic heart disease occurred in a boyof 14 years (+76) with typical signs of mitral valvular involvement and moderate cardiac enlargement. He was symptom-free and his electrocardiogram was normal. OPHTHALMOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS 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 the past, for a slightly _ greater incidenceofpterygii, pingueculae, corneal scars, and pigmentation in the exposed group. As a whole both groups showedvision and accommodation levels above the average in the United States. The absence of glaucoma was also notable. The incidence ofretinal arteriosclerosis, squints, and congenital diseases was very low. No cases of basal cell carcinomaof the eyelids or 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 showno obvious differences between the exposed and unexposed populations. (See Figures 19 to 22 and further discussion in 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 Japa- 1 nese 12 Females 0- 9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 >60 Total 23 17 16 12 3 6 11 0 0 1 0 0 4 8 88 13 ARTHRITIS SURVEY 1. Osteoarthritis The incidence of osteoarthritis, as indicated by the hand and wrist x-ray survey, is shown, byage and sex, in Table 17. The small numberof indi- viduals in the susceptible age groups precludes an accurate estimation of the prevalence; however,it Males Plus Females oO 9g 10-19 20-29 30-39 51 40 33 21 40-49 19 >60 50-59 14 Total 0 0 ] 2 1 DOE ARCHIVES 0 0 3.0 95 5.3 16 9 12 64.3 194 25 12.9 75.0 does not appear to be grossly different from that found in the United States white population 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 byx-rayoften had no complaints referable to their joints. 3| re ee ee — -- —— ee ee