Scottish Medical Journal

As a sequence to a survey which showed that the prevalence of goitre was higher in schoolchildren in Nithsdale (30%) than in Dumfries (16%), a total of 181 adult subjects from these 2 areas were examined and the plasma inorganic iodide concentrations (PII) were determined.

The large majority of PII values in subjects from both areas were within the normal range and the overall conclusions are that iodine deficiency severe enough to account for a high prevalence of small goitre or a low prevalence of large goitre does not exist in the South West of Scotland.

Since this area is likely to be representative of the U.K. in general, it is also concluded that there is no practical justification for general dietary iodine supplementation meanwhile.

In a survey of 140 patients in the gynaecology wards of a large general hospital, the subjects were asked whether they suffered from any of the common hay-fever type allergies, for example, to flowers, bedding dust, etc. An incidence of 20 per cent was established. Surgical and biopsy reports on this ward population established an incidence of malignant conditions at 28 per cent. These two groups of comparable age turned out to be mutually exclusive.

Reports of pregnancy nausea were also taken. Previous susceptibility to this varied from none to severe, and correlated positively with reports of common allergic type reactions, and consequently, inversely, with liability to gynaecological cancers in later life. The possible significance of this result in the studies of cancer is discussed.

A rapid, reliable, and simple method of estimating serum salicylate levels is described which makes this estimation available not only to units managing patients suffering from salicylate self-poisoning but also to departments using salicylates for medication and needing an easy method of checking the serum levels.

An epidermoid cyst of the testis is described. These tumours are rare and are thought to represent a keratinization of the epithelium of the rete testis. The histological features are completely benign and the prognosis is consequently good, in contrast to other testicular tumours.

In 10 patients with hypothyroidism, the electrocardiogram and Achilles reflex test have been recorded before and during treatment with l-thyroxine sodium. Aspects of the electrocardiogram affected by hypothyroidism are the rate, duration of PR interval, height of P-wave, of QRS complex and of T-wave and the ST segment. Each of these improved with therapy, the earliest and most sensitive change being the height of the QRS complex. The Achilles reflex time as recorded by the photomotograph also showed a parallel decrease with therapy but this is considered to be less reliable as an isolated test. The prolongation of the PR interval is briefly discussed and a correlation between the changes in skeletal and myocardial muscle is suggested.