ee hk ‘ | | i | 1 g “ue in the Marshallese. However, in September 1969 surgical exploration of - the thyroid on 5 Marshallese with palpable nodules revealed malignant o 1' . : lesions in 3 additional people. Two of the malignant lesions occurred | in women in the more heavily exposed Rongelap group, one in a 36 year old female who was 21 ysars of age at the time »9f exposure and one in a 22 year old female who was 7 years of age at the time of exposure. This latter J ‘ case represents the first malignant thyroid lesion to be noted in the group of heavily exposed children who have the highest incidence of benign lesions. These recent findings greatly increase the concern about radiation - induced neoplasms in this population. lesion was noted The third individual with a malignant | in a woman from Utirik island, Since the dose of radiation « . . received by that group was very low, it is highly improbable that this lesion is attributable to radiation exposure. | Surgical exploration of thyroid nodules, | Thyroid operations have been performed at the following times: 3 in. 1964*, 3 in 1965%*, 5 in 1966:%, 3 in 1968%*, and 5 in 1969***, At surgery-the gross appearance of most of the thyroids were lobulated but in addition contained grossly discrete masses (See Figs.2-4),The benign thyroid lesions exhibited multiple nodules varying in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters. They varied from soft to firm in consistency, and were hemorrhagic or in many instances cystic. It was noted in some that there was increased fine vacularity over the surface of the gland similar to that which has been noted in thyroids which had been treated with large doses of 1317 for hyperthyroidism. Some of the ! 1 | ii *by Captain C.A. Broadus(MC)USN, U.S. Naval Hospital, Guam. *xxby Dr. B. P. Colcock, New England Deaconess & Baptist Hospitals, Boston, Massachuset *kkby Dr. B. M. Bobyns, Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Cleveland, Onio. | | DOE ARCHIVES. se $A