Relationship between location of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and cervical lymph node metastasis

Objective To discuss the correlation of location of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma with cervical lymph node metastasis. Methods Clinical data about 256 patients from September 2013 to February 2015 in the department of general surgery of Chinese PLA General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed to discuss whether the location of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma correlated with the cervical lymph node metastasis. Results The locations of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma were classified into an upper pole, middle third, lower pole, isthmus, multifocal in affected lobe and multifocal in both lobe based on the results of thyroid ultrasound and operation records.Tumor location in the middle third of thyroid lobe was associated with higher rate of CLNM (central lymph node metastasis) (38.6%, P< 0.05).In 85 cases underwent therapeutic lateral neck dissection, tumor location in middle third was associated with higher rate of LLNM (lateral lymph node metastasis) (29.2%, P< 0.05), and location of upper pole was associated with higher rate of ipsilateral upper compartment (referred to levelⅡ) lymph node metastasis (21.1%, P< 0.05). Conclusion The tumor location of thyroid papillary carcinoma correlates with the rate of lymph node metastasis and lymph node metastatic field, and the rate of lymph node metastasis is higher than other parts when tumor is in the middle-third gland (P< 0.05).