Contralateral neck dissection in oral squamous cell carcinoma: when it shoud be done?

Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a high incidence of cervical micrometastases and sometimes metastasizes bilaterally because of the rich lymphatics in the submucosal plexus, which freely communicate across the midline. The presence of contralateral pathologic lymph nodes has been reported previously as a critical factor influencing the survival of patients. There are a few reports in the literature with regard to the rates of contralateral neck disease and the factors that may be involved in the risk with them. An elective ipsilateral neck treatment is generally recommended for initial treatment in all OSCC. However, no consensus exists whether or not to perform an elective contralateral neck dissection or radiation. In this study, a systematic review has been performed in order to evaluate the predictive value of clinical-histopathologic factors potentially related to contralateral occult lymph node metastasis in squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity to form a rational basis for elective contralateral neck management.