ELEVATED THYROIDAL I131UPTAKE IN THE ABSENCE OF GOITER IN ISOLATED VENEZUELAN INDIANS

Abstract

The 24-hour thyroidal uptake of I131 was measured in 53 well nourished Indians from the Alto Ventuari region, Amazonas territory, Venezuela. These Indians had had little or no contact with white men and, with 1 exception, their thyroids were either nonpalpable or normal in size. The average I131 uptake was 70.8 per cent of the administered dose; 45 of the cases had uptakes of more than 50 per cent of the dose. Uptakes of 6 members of the expedition were within normal limits. If it be assumed that the demonstrated thyroidal avidity for iodine means iodine deficiency, the findings would suggest that such deficiency may exist without giving rise to goiter.