title: Lymph node metastasis between sternocleidomastoid and sternohyoid muscle in clinically node-positive papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been few reports on lymph node metastasis between sternocleidomastoid and sternohyoid muscle (originally LNSS) in clinically node positive (cN+) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Therefore, our objective was to investigate the significance of LNSS metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 115 patients with cN+ PTC underwent a neck dissection with LNSS, as a separate pathologic specimen to be analyzed for the correlation between LNSS and sex, age, tumor size, tumor site, initial or reoperative treatment, lateral cervical lymph nodes, and central compartment metastasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of LNSS was 22.6%. LNSS metastasis was correlated with a primary site in the inferior pole, the lateral nodal metastasis, level III and level IV nodal metastasis, but not with other clinical parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In cN+ PTC, especially a primary site in the inferior pole, level III and/or level IV metastasis, attention should be given to excising the nodal tissue in LNSS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yongxue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yulong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kuan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhongwu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Qinghai
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019042:Muscle Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D047368:Tumor Burden