Thorium dioxide effects in man: epidemiological, clinical, and pathological studies (experience in Portugal)
The Portuguese Thorotrast series comprises 1230 traced individuals of a total of 2432 who received Thorotrast for diagnostic purposes between 1930 and 1955, and have been followed since then. Of those, 1039 received the drug systemically (most of them for cerebral angiography), and 191 locally. Among the 1230 traced cases, 901 individuals have died up to 31 December 1971, 23 from fatal blood dyscrasias (12 of which were acute leukemias), 104 from malignant tumors, 64 of which were liver tumors, the hemangioendotheliomas being the most frequent histological type found; 23 from liver cirrhosis and 13 from the late effects of cervical granulomata occurring after cerebral angiography. The follow up of these cases and of 726 controls roughly matched for age and sex, and the statistical analysis performed on the results have shown that the incidence of malignancies in general, particularly of acute leukemias and malignant neoplasias of the liver and of liver fibrosis (liver ''cirrhosis'') was significantly higher among the traced Thorotrast cases than among the controls and the general Portuguese population, even allowing for the peculiarities of the diseased series, after correction of the respective death rates by a calculated factor. The main morphological lesions found in pathological studies of this series (autopsies and biopsies) are local granulomata developed in the tissues where the drug had been spilled, liver fibrosis, and liver tumors. Of these, the most frequent types found are hemangioendotheliomas and cholangiocarcinomas. A multicentric hemangioendothelioma was found in the reticuloendothelial organs in 3 cases. Bone marrow lesions found have been leukemias or aplastic anemias. The authors conclude that Thorotrast must have been the cause of such pathological consequences, probably through its radioactivity, and therefore should not be used in human beings. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon
- NSA Number:
- NSA-33-000989
- OSTI ID:
- 4191256
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Res., v. 8, no. 2, pp. 131-159, Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-76
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
LEUKEMIA
NEOPLASMS
PATHOLOGY
PORTUGAL
REVIEWS
STATISTICS