title: [Analysis of lymph node metastasis factors in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the factors of lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and to evaluate the significance of the selective neck dissection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of 82 patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. Sixty patients were received a selective neck dissection (Group 1), while twenty-two were not (Group 2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Group 1, 13 patients were found metastasis. The incidence of metastasis was 21. 67% (13/60). The frequency of nodal metastasis with a carcinoma < 0.7 cm was 4.76%, while > or = 0.7 cm was 30.77% (P < 0.05). All patients were followed-up from 9 to 14 years (mean 59.8 months). No patients relapsed or died, and no one was found distant metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The papillary thyroid microcarcinoma had a high tendency to metastasize. It is more significant to perform selective neck dissection in tumors > or = 0.7 cm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 200001, China.
authors.forename: Ya'nan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jiadong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult