RETROSPECTIVELY EVALUATED FINDING OF LARGER THYROID VOLUME IN EAST SLOVAKIAN ADOLESCENTS IN 1987 THAN IN 1992 - EFFECT OF CHERNOBYL

Previously published data on thyroid volume in 207 boys and 220 girls aged 15-16 years obtained in January 1987 (which happened to be just b y chance 8 months after nuclear accident in Chernobyl) in Kosice (loca ted 700 km from Chernobyl) were compared with recently obtained data ( January 1992) from 85 boys and 129 girls of the same age and in the sa me place. It was found that in 1987 the average thyroid volume in a gr oup of both sexes was 3.4 ml higher than in 1992 (p<0.001), while the respective difference in girls only was 4.2 ml (p<0.001). No differenc es in the urinary excretion of iodine were found. Though it cannot be retrospectively proven, it is hypothesized that the increased thyroid volume in 1987 might result from some delayed changes due to irradiati on thyroiditis. The data are considered to deserve further attention,