title: Pattern of anterolateral cervical lymph nodes involvement in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the pattern of metastatic involvement of anterolateral cervical lymph nodes in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Surgery, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, from July 1998 to July 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, KNG Hospital, Bannu, NWFP. surgeontahir@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zareen
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.forename: Samiullah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Zahoor
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery