Pattern of anterolateral cervical lymph nodes involvement in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To determine the pattern of metastatic involvement of anterolateral cervical lymph nodes in papillary thyroid carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective, descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Surgery, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, from July 1998 to July 2005. METHODOLOGY The clinical and pathological record of 38 patients who underwent neck surgery for cervical metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma was reviewed. Neck dissections were done and 85 lymph nodes were taken. Forty lymph nodes were histologically positive and were classified in 3 groups based on dissection procedure. The neck level (levels I-V) of the positive nodes of all the 3 groups was identified. RESULTS The mean age of patients was 32+2.5 years. The positive nodes in neck level III were the most involved followed by level II, IV, V and then I. CONCLUSION Modified neck dissection should be adopted for papillary thyroid carcinoma. Papillary thyroid carcinoma usually involves the neck level II, III and IV with the level III being the most frequently involved.