title: Pattern of lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Incidence and pattern of lymph node metastasis (LNM) were evaluated in 35 patients who underwent primary surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total thyroidectomy with systematic cervicocentral lymphadenectomy was performed routinely. Additionally, 22 patients underwent lymphadenectomy of the ipsilateral cervicolateral compartment. Sternotomy was performed in four patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary tumour status was: pT1, n = 7; pT2, n = 12; pT3, n = 4; pT4, n = 12. Twenty-four patients had LNM in the ipsilateral cervicocentral compartment (pT1, n = 2; pT2, n = 8; pT3, n = 4; pT4, n = 10). Nineteen had LNM in the ipsilateral cervicolateral compartment (pT1, n = 4; pT2, n = 6; pT3, n = 2; pT4, n = 7). Contralateral cervicocentral LNM was restricted to patients with pT3 tumours (n = 2) or pT4 tumours (n = 3). No patient had LNM in the contralateral cervicolateral compartment. Only one patient (pT3 tumour) had mediastinal LNM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cervicocentral compartment was most commonly involved with metastases, although the ipsilateral cervicolateral compartment was almost as often affected. In some patients ipsilateral cervicolateral LNM was present in the absence of cervicocentral LNM. Contralateral cervicolateral and upper mediastinal LNM, however, were rare. This study helps to plan radical surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gimm
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Rath
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dralle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods