Hypothyroidism in textile workers

Four cases of overt hypothyroidism, three of whom were men in their early forties, had occurred over a period of 6 years at a textile factory where thiourea and resorcinol were used in the finishing departments. A follow-up survey of 189 men and 48 women (44 per cent of employees) revealed 12 new cases of varying grades of hypothyroidism, categorized after the system proposed by Evered. These included a case of mild hypothyroidism in a male worker, who subsequently received thyroid hormone replacement therapy as a hospital out-patient. A full occupational hygiene survey was carried out to determine possible sources of exposure to thiourea and resorcinol. Although we were unable to demonstrate a statistically significant occurrence of biochemically and immunologically detectable disturbances in thyroid function among this workforce, we did note that three of the original index cases and several of those workers with varying degrees of minor dysfunction in the follow-up study seemed to cluster in locations where exhausted fumes could accumulate.