Volume 66, No. 6
June 1967

LATE EFFECTS OF RADIOACTIVE IODINE IN FALLOUT

TABLE 3.
Case

Present

Age at

Age

1 225

Thyroid Abnormalities in Exposed Rongelap People, 1966

Exposure

Sex

Date

Findings

Abnormality
Noted

—
17

15

3

F

3/63

Benign nodules, complete thyroidectomy 1964.

21

15

3

F

3/64

Benign nodules, complete thyroidectomy, para-

69

16

4

F

3/64

20

19

7

F

3/65

2

13

1

M

3/65

Benign nodules, partial thyroidectomy 1964.
No recurrence.
Benign nodule, partial thyroidectomy 1965.
No recurrence.
Benign nodule, partial thyroidectomy 1965.

64

42

30

F

3/65

5

13

1

M

3/65

3

13

1

M

3/65

Hypothyroid, PBI less than 2yg/100 mi

9/65

March 1966 growth spurt and improved appearance on hormone.
3-mm nodule left lobe. No exam March 1966.

72

18

42

15

61

-

0

F

3

F

9/65

20

8

F

9/65

40

41

29

M

9/65

59t
34

46
13

36
1

F
M

9/65
3/66

19

17

5

M

3/66

36

19

7

M

3/66

33

13

1

F

3/66

35

13

1

F

3/66

No recurrence.

thyroidectomy 1964. No recurrence.

No recurrence.

Malignant nodule, thyroidectomy—surgical
and with radioiodine 1965. No recurrence
noted on physical examination.*
Hypothyroid, protein-bound iodine (PBI) less

spurt and improved appearance on hormone.

March 1965, marked retardation of growth;

2-mm nodule right lower lobe; March 1966—

nodular enlargemententire gland; firm 5-mm
nodule right lobe.

6- to 8mm smooth nodule left lower pole;

March 1966 1-cm nodule left lobe.
2-mm nodule right lower pole; March 1966 no
nodules detected.
5-mm nodule midline; March 1966 same.
Nodular enlargementleft lobe and isthmus with
2-mm firm nodule.
Multinodular soft goiter—gland 14 X normal

size; 1-cm nodule right lowerpole.
About 1-cm nodule—not clearly demarked—
right lower pole. Many tiny nodules on surface of gland.

In September 1965 questionableirregular gland.
Now definite 5-mm nodule left lobe. ? pre-

tracheal lymph node.
In September 1965 questionable small nodule;
now 5-mm nodule right lobe.

* Unable to carry out follow-up thyroid uptake and X-ray studies due to pregnancy.
+ Exposed to only 69 rads whole-body radiation and presumably proportionately less thyroid dose.

normalities has occured *‘in children ex-

posed at less than 1gyeaigof age and in
the more hehe cpewgdelt.cy clap group.

There were 19 children in this group ex-

posed to 175 rads of whole-body irradiation.
The 2 severely hypothyroid cases are also
in this group. Note that in the Ailinginae
group, who received considerably less ex-

posure, there have been no nodules found
in the 6 children in that age range. On
Utirik Island there were 40 children in the
same age range, who received an estimated
55 to 110 rads to their thyroid glands, and
there were no cases of thyroid abnormalities
seen. In the 61 unexposed children in the
comparison population on Rongelapof the

Piagetile

than 2 ug/100 ml March 1965, marked retardation of growth; March 1966 growth

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