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Tumor location–dependent skip lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer
Author(s) -
Lee Yoon Se,
Shin SungChan,
Lim YunSung,
Lee JinChoon,
Wang SooGeun,
Son SeokMan,
Kim InJu,
Lee ByungJoo
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.23391
Subject(s) - medicine , metastasis , papillary thyroid cancer , neck dissection , lymph , dissection (medical) , cervical lymph nodes , lymph node , lymph node metastasis , thyroid , thyroidectomy , thyroid cancer , primary tumor , radiology , cancer , pathology
Background Lateral cervical lymph node metastasis without central lymph node (CLN) metastasis is not infrequent in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). This study was designed to investigate the frequency and pattern of skip metastasis in PTC. Methods We reviewed 131 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with CLN dissection and selective lymph node dissection. Tumor location was classified in 3 areas (upper, middle, and lower third) based on preoperative ultrasonographic findings. Results All skip metastases occurred in patients whose tumors had been on the upper part of the thyroid ( p < .001). Among 9 patients with skip metastasis, level III lymph nodes (66.7%) were the lymph nodes that were most frequently involved in skip metastasis. Conclusion Primary tumors in the upper portion of the thyroid are closely linked to skip metastasis. Careful preoperative evaluation of lateral cervical lymph nodes is suggested when a tumor is in the upper portion. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: 887–891, 2014