{ t : t i Mark and Bustad report similar findings in sheep/, . Though the dose to | . the thyroid gland in the Marshallese was generally considerably below the t . dose of 134y used for therapy of hype <hyroidism it is likely that the | : | 7 | Co : eo doses received by some of these children were in excess of the optimum |: { - . . . ! . ‘carcinogenic range and therefore the true risk per effective rad may be greater in this group. . . -! a . The paradoxical finding of greater risk in the older group appears to be in line with this reasoning. -The two stunted | t ' Marshallese boys who showed almost complete atrophy of their thyroid glands with no evidence of nodular development are probably comparable ° i _ to those cases of hypothyroidism developing in patients years after No " -Yeceiving radioiodine therapy. - | It should be pointed out that the thyroid = 4-0 | J igs exposures in the Rongelapese were slightly different from patients treated. 0/7) with 131] because their thyroids were not hyperplastic when exposed and at ne . _- hw ' t least part of the radioiodine isotopes to which they were exposed were ©. _ in addition their exposure was complicated, |) of shorter half life than 131, , . -by gamma radiation. lead “ o There were some factors secondary to radiation exposure that might " have enhanced the development of thyroid lesions in the Marshallese. .Iodine. =~": : | . - oe et deficiency or presence of goitrogensin the diet did not appear to be among. * : these. However the physiological stresses of :puberty and pregnancy may ' have played a role in the development of the lesions. ° !l - For instance thé |”: children during or near’... development of 10 cases of nodular goiter in the . ole I . , the time of puberty might indicate that this stress may have enhanced nodular development. In 3 females that developed thyroid nodules later the demand of multiple pregnancies may have been related: However since the latent - DOE ARCHIVES | 793