The Clinical Value Of Carbon Nanoparticles In Prophylatic Central Compartment Lymph Node Dissection In Treatment Of CN0 Papillary Thyroid Carcinom

Aim To investigate the clinical significance of the carbon nanoparticles(CN)in prophylactic central compartment lymph node dissection(PCCND)in treatment of clinically node-negative(cN0)papillary thyroid carcinoma.Methods A total of 102 cN0 patients in our department from December,2016 to June,2017 enrolled in our study and allocated to the control group(n=51)and the CN group(n=51).All the patients have received(near)total unilateral lobectomy or bilateral thyroidectomy plus the affected side PCCND.The baseline characteristics,lymph nodes resection related indices(including number of total dissected lymph nodes and metastatic lymph nodes in central neck compartment),parathyroid gland function indices and postoperative complication indices were collected and compared between the two groups.Results The differences of baseline characteristics between the CN group and the control group are not significant(all P>0.05).The total dissected lymph nodes in the CN group are 573 while the control group are 334;The average lymph nodes in each patients in the CN group are 11.2±5.46 which is higher than 6.5 ± 4.3 of the control group(P<0.001).And similarly in the CN group,the average counts of positive lymph nodes is also higher than the control group(2.013.3 vs.0.8±1.5)(P<0.05).When lymph nodes are less than 5mm in diameter,the average number of total lymph nodes(4.413.1 vs.1.0±1.2)and positive lymph nodes(0.7±2-6 vs.0.1 ±0.9)in each patient are all bigger in the CN group than the control group.In terms of parathyroid gland function protection,the mean parathyroid hormone levels in the CN group are all higher than the control group at the time of three days and one months after operation(P=0.027,0.015,respectively);The average serum calcium are also higher in the CN group at the time of one month and three months after surgery(all P=0.001).There are two patients with transient hypocalcaemia in the CN group while 9 patients in the control group(P=0.025).Conclusion The CN can increase the total retrieved lymph nodes in central neck dissection and the rate of metastatic lymph nodes resection.It also may give indirect protection of parathyroid function and decrease the risk of transient parathyroid injury.So the CN is clinically valuable in treatment of cN0 papillary thyroid cancer undergoing PCCND.