Diagnostic Value of CT for the Detection of Cervical Lymph Node Metastases in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

neoplasm in the thyroid gland and accounts for approximately 70% of all thyroid carcinomas (1). Metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy is a common finding in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, and its detection is crucial for planning the surgical management of these patients (2-4). Many investigators have noted the sonographic differentiation between normal and abnormal lymph nodes (5-7). Although criteria for the diagnosis of abnormal nodes are well established, overlap between the criteria for metastasis and various other pathological conditions still exists. Although many studies have described the ultrasonographic or MR imaging appearance of metastatic lymph nodes from papillary thyroid carcinoma (5-10), many J Korean Soc Radiol 2009;60:383-389