[Clinical analysis of level V occult metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the occurrence and frequency of level V occult metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.


METHODS
The clinicopathological data of 475 patients in our hospital from 1980 to 1996 were retrospectively analyzed. Pathological results of 275 cN + patients were analyzed and 200 cases with no lymph node metastasis were followed up to compare the recurrence rate of those two groups. The 275 cN + patients were divided into 3 subgroups according to the risk levels: high risk group 83 cases, moderate risk group 104 cases and low risk group 88 cases.


RESULTS
The occurrence rate of level V node occult metastasis in the 275 cases was 17.5%, among them, the results of low risk, moderate and high risk groups were 9.1%, 19.2% and 24.1%, respectively (Chi-Square value 7.041, P < 0.05). These 3 groups were divided according to the number of level II approximately IV positive lymph nodes 1, 2 - 10 and more than 10, and the rate was 0, 4.5% and 24.6%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Careful prudence is needed to decide whether a patient of papillary thyroid carcinoma with clinically negative level V node metastasis should be operated for level V lymph node dissection or not. Patients of low risk group or with less positive lymph nodes could be kept under observation for level V node metastasis.
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Jie
J
Liu
Ping-zhang
PZ
Tang
Zhen-gang
ZG
Xu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D055815:Young Adult