Evaluate The Value Of The Central Compartment Neck Dissection For CN₀ Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Objective Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common malignancy in thyroid gland as well as in the endocrine system. Most patients present a mass or masses in the thyroid gland with no evidence of lymph node metastasis as the first symptom, which we called cNo patient. But lymph node metastasis is the main metastatic way of papillary thyroid carcinoma which occurred in about 10% cNo cases. It is now well-accepted that there are relations between lymph node metastasis and prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma which is concluded from several long term follow-up investigations. According to the staging of TNM of UICC 2002, author aimed in this study to analyze discussed the influential factors of central lymph node metastasis and to evaluate the value of the central compartment neck dissection for cNo papillary thyroid carcinoma.Methods Retrospective analysis had been done to patients of papillary thyroid carcinoma patients who had no evidence of lymph node metastasis before operation. From January 2005 to January 2009,67 patients with the central compartment lymph node dissection were studied. All the cases were underwent frozen section and were confirmed by pathological exam who followed-up for the cervicolateral compartment lymph node recurrence.Results There were 22 male and 45 female patients, media age of 42±2years. The age of 35 patients was 45years or more than 45 years.22 patients of the tumor size were less than 1.0cm,45 patients of the tumor size were more than 1.0cm. The tumor of 27 patients enveloped violations and 40 patients did not envelop violations. The central lymph node metastasis incidence is 50.7% in 67 cNo cases. The central lymph node metastasis was related with the carcinoma invaded thyroid envelope and age of 45 or more than 45 years. No death occurred in the 67 cases after operation in our hospital,5cases of whom showed temporary vocal cord paralysis and 3 cases showed temporary aeroanesthes due to hypocalcemia. There were no such complications as laryngeal nerves injury and hypocalcaemia tenancy.Conclusions 1. The central lymph node metastasis was related with the carcinoma invaded thyroid envelope and age of 45 or more than 45 years; 2. The central lymph node metastasis was not related with tumor size.;3. It is necessary and safe to perform central compartment neck dissection during cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma operation.