[Central lymph node metastasis in cNO papillary thyroid carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE This study was to evaluate the patterns of central lymph nodes metastasis, by analyzing the results of surgery in clinical NO (cNO) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHOD We retrospectively studied the effect of surgical treatment among 123 cN0 PTC patients. All the patients underwent central lymph node dissection; 47 patients underwent ipsilateral neck dissection and 9 patients underwent bilateral neck dissection. RE- SULT: Seventy-eight cases (63.4%)were found positive central lymph node, which included 34 cases (27.6%) bilateral positive central lymph node. Central lymph node metastases correlated with age < 45 years, extrathyroidal extension, surrounding tissue invasion and tumor size grade (P < 0.05), were the independent risk factors of central lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION Age < 45 years, extrathyroidal extension and surrounding tissue invasion were the independent risk factors of central lymph node metastasis. For cNo patients with PTC, primary excision as well as central neck dissection was recommended; according to the results of intraoperative frozen and situation, further process were made.