THYROID ABNORMALITIES AMONG CHILDREN IN THE CONTAMINATED AREA RELATEDTO THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

Gradual increases of various radiation-related diseases including thyr oid cancer following the Chernobyl accident have been recently reporte d, We have carried out systematic thyroid surveys in school children a ged 10-15 years in the highly contaminated area and compared the resul ts with a similar survey in a; nonaffected neighboring area as a contr ol, Systematic examinations of the thyroid gland were performed in 888 schoolchildren (408 males and 480 females) in the districts of Cheche lsk city with 5 to over 40 Ci/km(2) of radiation level for Cs-137. In the control area (Bobruisk city), 521 children with the same age range (229 males and 292 females) were examined, Thyroid surveys were carri ed out as follows: palpation, ultrasonography, blood examinations of t hyroid function, and measurements of daily urinary excretion of iodine . Certain thyroid abnormalities were observed in the high radioactive fallout area more frequently than in the control region. In particular , the prevalence of multiple micronodular lesions in diffuse goiter in the contaminated area; was significantly higher than in the control a rea, However, endemic goiter due to iodine deficiency was present in b oth districts. The environment factor of iodine deficiency might have resulted in the early occurrence of ultrasonographic thyroid abnormali ties attributed to radioactive contamination.