Over the past 10 months, we have performed mass screenings for thyroid diseases on the inhabitants of Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture, in cooperation with the women's department of the local agricultural cooperative. The number of examinees so far has reached a total of 2, 481 persons-2, 025 women and 456 men.
By palpation, goiter has been found in 208 (8.4%) persons-204 women and 4 men. The detection ratio was low when compared with the percentage recorded in Kamaishi, and higher than those in Kofu and Chiba.
Out of the 208 persons, 152 men and women underwent further examination, with the result that simple goiter was found in 35 persons; subacute thyroiditis in one person; chronic thyroiditis in 44; Basedow's disease in 8; and nodular goiter in 64.
Aizu stood highest next only to Kamaishi on the list in the chronic thyroiditis detection ratio. Kofu and Chiba followed in that order. As regards adenoma and adenomatous goiter in the thyroid grand, Aizu was on a par with Kamaishi, outdistancing Kofu and Chiba. Thyroid cancer was found less in Aizu than in Kamaishi and Kofu, but more or less at the same ratio with Chiba. As for Basedow's disease, Aizu ranked first.

Surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA, n=240) was reviewed in subgroups of ruptured AAA (RAAA, n=31), non-ruptured AAA with arteriosclerosis obliterans (AAA w/ASO, n=48), and non-ruptured AAA without ASO (AAA w/o ASO, n=161). The average follow-up period was 4.2 years (maximum 15.8 years) and the follow-up rate was 97%. Overall operative mortality rates were 41.9% in RAAA and 2.9% in non-ruptured AAA. Those were 6.3% in AAA w/ASO and 1.9% in AAA w/o ASO. The main causes of death in the long-term follow-up period were heart disease in 32%, malignant neoplasm in 22%, cerebrovascular accidents in 10% and renal failure in 10%, and miscellaneous. Only renal failure was related to operative risk factors. Relative survival rates excluding hospital death following surgery were 79% at 5 years and 0% at 10 years in RAAA; 74% at 5 years and 52% at 10 years in AAA w/o ASO; 95% at 5 years and 78% at 10 years in AAA w/ASO; 90% at 5 years and 70% at 10 years in non-ruptured AAA. These survival rates were lower than those found in the normal population, especially in AAA w/ASO. AAA w/ASO had more surgical risk factors of ischemic heart diseases and diabetes mellitus. Main causes of deaths were heart diseases, and renal failure during the long-term follow-up period was more predominant in AAA. It is important to follow all patients after surgery for AAA with special attention to heart disease and renal failure.