Reagan’s Test Results Normal, Physician Says

President Reagan on Saturday underwent a two-hour urological examination that his physician said revealed “no abnormalities or evidence of tumor or other disease.”

Dr. T. Burton Smith said the tests, conducted after Reagan made his regular Saturday radio address, included a bladder examination and an “intravenous urogram” in which dye is injected into the bloodstream and examined on X-rays.

Experts described the tests, conducted at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland, as routine, designed to permit a visual check for growths, discolorations or other problems in the prostate or bladder.

“No further urological examinations or other medical procedures are planned” on the 75-year-old President, Smith said in a statement.

Reagan, with his wife, Nancy, at his side, entered the hospital at 9:58 a.m. PDT and emerged two hours later. He flashed an OK sign to reporters and headed for his helicopter, Marine One. “Everything’s fine. Everything’s normal,” he announced.

‘Everything’s Unchanged’

On returning to the White House, the President, smiling and appearing to walk normally, was asked by reporters how he felt. “Fine,” he said. “Everything’s unchanged since 1982, when they looked the last time.”

In April of that year, Reagan, complaining of discomfort in his urinary tract, underwent a similar examination, after which he was given antibiotics. He required no further treatment. Saturday, he said he was given no medication.

The President’s medical examination Saturday came on the day that he surpassed Richard M. Nixon to become the longest-serving President since Dwight D. Eisenhower. Nixon resigned 12 years ago Saturday--Aug. 9, 1974--at the climax of the Watergate scandal, after he had been in office 6 1/2 years.

Reagan’s urological problems date to at least 1967, when he was governor of California. Then, suffering a series of urinary tract infections, he required a medical procedure to remove stones from the tract.

Prostate troubles are not uncommon among men Reagan’s age. They generally are accompanied by an enlargement of the prostate gland, which is about the size of a walnut. It surrounds the urethra, the canal through which urine is excreted. Its location causes it to contribute to urinary tract problems.

Because of his age and his health history, the announcement Friday that Reagan would undergo the urological examination caused something of a stir in the capital.

Last year, Reagan underwent major abdominal surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon. Also last year, he had patches of cancerous skin removed from his nose.

Stress Precautionary Nature

White House officials asserted that Saturday’s examination was precautionary and unrelated to last year’s cancer surgery.

The tests that Reagan took are often used to detect the cause of blood in urine, but Larry Speakes, the White House spokesman, said Friday that he was unaware of any specific pain or other condition that precipitated the tests. And Saturday, as if to underscore the routine nature of the checkup, no briefing for reporters was held; information was disseminated on paper. Mrs. Reagan has made clear her feeling that the White House should limit announcements of details on the President’s health problems.

Reagan, apparently trying to play down any concerns, told ABC network personnel in the Oval Office before his radio broadcast: “For those of you who saw the headlines this morning, I’m not in danger.

‘A Routine Test’

“The whole thing is a routine test I schedule every so often because of kidney stones I had a few years ago.”

Before the urological examination, Reagan submitted to a drug test, which he had promised last week to do as a symbol of the Administration’s war on illegal drugs. When asked about the results of tests on his urine specimen, Reagan said: “Just done that. You don’t get those returns that quickly.”

Reagan--like dozens of senior White House officials, including Vice President George Bush--had been scheduled to participate in the voluntary drug-testing program Monday. But he was advised to take the test Saturday before his urological examination because the local anesthetic that was used could have affected the drug test results.

Calls for Lidocaine

Typically, a drug called Lidocaine is administered to relieve pain during the bladder examination that Reagan underwent. In that test, called cystoscopy, an instrument is inserted into the penis and through the urethra into the bladder.

Lidocaine is a derivative of cocaine, one of six substances the drug test is supposed to detect. The other substances are marijuana, heroin, PCP, amphetamines and barbiturates.

White House officials said it would take up to 10 days to get drug test results.