Appendix 10
Hospital Records of Thyroid Cases, 1972-1974
Rongelap 75
HOSPITAL OF THE MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER,
BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY
UPTON, NEW YORK 11973
—
08-42-33 R
Area Code $16 YAphonk 4-6262
,
NAME)
(UNIT NO)
DISCHARGE SUMMARY
ADMILTTED:
7 November 1972
DISCHARGED:
13 November 1972
This 29-year-old Marshallese lady was
admitted to this Hospital for evaluation
of thyroid nodularity and physical status for thyroid surgery,
HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS:
She was brought to this Hospital from
the Marshall Islands with another
Rongelap girl who also had thyroid nodularity. Both had been exposed to radioactive fallout in 1954.
They were accompanied by a Marshallese interpreter.
Thorough thyroid studies and evaluation of her general physical status prior to
surgery were carried out,
Before the detection of her thyroid
abnormality in September 1972, the
thyroid examinations have always been negative and she had always appeared euthyroid
with normal thyroxin levels, The patient was exposed to a whole body dose of
175 rads of gamma radiation and the thyroid gland received an estimated dose of
500 rads, largely from absorption of radioiodines in the fallout.
Following her exposure to fallout, the
patient experienced slight nausea and
some itching and burning of the skin,
She developed supericial beta burns over
parts of her body which healed within a few months. She also had transitory
platelet depression and mild leukocyte depression which returned to normal levels
within a year, Until the development of thyroid lesions, her past history had
been generally negative excepf for the occurrence of virus pneumonia as a child.
Her growth and development had been normal and she haa had six normal deliveries
and one miscarriage,
Her FAMILY and SOCYAL HISTORY were noncontributory,
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:
individual,
negative,
Tre patient is a well-developed and
well-nourished, alert and cooperative
Except for thyroid findings, the physical examination was essentially
The thyroid examination revealed a 2-cm mass in the upper right lobe
which was non-tender and only moderately hard, The lower part of the right lobe
was enlarged but the left lobe was barely palpable. No nodes were palpated
except for a small one in.
fhe posterior cervical chain,
LABORATORY & X-RAY DATAS in the right lobe of the giand,
increase after TSH stimulation,
Thyroid scan with 7"™Tc showed both
functioning and non-functioning nodules
T4 level was normal (8.3 118%) and showed good
Before TSH administration (10 units) the
1231
uptake wes 39.9% and after the administration of the hormone the uptake was 55.5%,
Thyroxin levels will be recorded later. BMR and cholesterol were normal, ‘he
remainder of the Laboratory and X-Ray Workup was negative, except for the
presence of trichuris trichuria and ascaris lumbricoides in the stools.
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BNL 720A
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