Routine central compartment lymph node dissection for patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: The role of routine central compartment neck dissection in papillary thyroid cancer is controversial. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review was conducted of 83 patients with papillary thyroid cancer who received either total or hemithyroidectomy and central compartment lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: Positive central compartment node metastases were found in approximately equal rates between older and younger patients (38.9% and 42.6%, respectively; Fisher's exact test; p = .82). The primary tumor was a microcarcinoma (1 cm or less) in 32 patients (38.5%). Positive central compartment node metastases were detected in 31.3% of patients with microcarcinomas, compared with 47.1% of patients with tumors greater than 1 cm. CONCLUSION: Younger and older patients had approximately equal rates of central compartment lymph node metastasis. There was also a similar rate of metastasis between microcarcinomas and larger tumors. Our results document that central compartment lymph node dissection is a safe operation and may decrease the need for further operations.

publication date

  • March 17, 2011

Research

keywords

  • Lymph Node Excision
  • Thyroid Neoplasms
  • Thyroidectomy

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84855664261

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1002/hed.21728

PubMed ID

  • 21416550

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 34

issue

  • 2