Relationship between subgroups of central lymph node metastasis and lateral lymph node metastasis in cN0 unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the relationship between subgroups of central lymph node metastasis (sCLNM) and lateral lymph node metastasis (LNM) of unilatal papillary thyroid carcinoma (uPTC) with cervical lymph node negative(cN0).Methods The clinical and pathological data of 161 patients with cN0-uPTC who underwent total thyroidectomy+central lymph node dissection+lateral lymph node dissection from Jan.2016 to Dec.2016 were retrospectively analyzed.The relationship between the lymph node metastasis of each subarea in the central area of the affected side and the lymph node metastasis of the affected side was investigated.Results Binary logistic regression analysis of cN0-uPTC subregions in the affected central region showedpre-laryngeal lymph node metastasis,pre-tracheal lymph node metastasis and paratracheal lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis in the affected lateral region(P=0.008,0.016,0.035,respectively).Prelaryngeal lymph node metastasis was an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis in the affected area Ⅱ (P=0.015).Pre-tracheal lymph node metastasis was an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis in affected area Ⅲ (P=0.004).Pre-tracheal and para-tracheal lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis in the affected Ⅳ area (P=0.035,0.011,respectively).Conclusions The lymph node metastasis pathway of thyroid cancer had certain regularity.The pre-laryngeal lymph node metastasis has the prediction value for the lymph node metastasis of the affected area Ⅱ.The pre-tracheal lymph node metastasis has the prediction value for the lymph node metastasis of the affected area Ⅲ.The pre-tracheal and paratracheal lymph node metastasis have the prediction value for lymph node metastasis of the affected area Ⅳ.Lymph node dissection in affected areas Ⅲ and Ⅳ needs to be considered in patients with pre-tracheal or paratracheal lymph node metastases.On this basis,lymph node dissection on the affected areas Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ might be considered if there is pre-laryngeal lymph node metastasis at the same time.