title: Management of retropharyngeal node metastases from thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lymph node metastases are relatively common in thyroid carcinoma, but retropharyngeal nodes (RPN) are rare. Management may be surgical or non-surgical, according to the context of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review of cases reported in the literature and report of 5 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most case series report surgical management, via a cervical or transoral approach. RPN was the specific object of 26 case series, with a total of 85 patients, with surgery performed in 22/26 studies. Our 5 cases illustrated various strategies in the multidisciplinary management, with surgery for three patients (also with (131)I in one case), targeted therapy for one patient with concurrent distant metastases, and watch and wait for one elderly patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Management of RPN is not always surgical. Discussion of options in a multidisciplinary tumor board setting may optimize care.
authors.affiliation: Thyroid Surgery Unit, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie Gustave Roussy and Paris-Sud University, 114, rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif, France, dana.hartl@gustaveroussy.fr.
authors.forename: Dana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hartl
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leboulleux
authors.forename: Fritz-Line
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Vélayoudom-Céphise
authors.forename: Haïtham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mirghani
authors.forename: Désirée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Déandréis
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlumberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009333:Neck; D010614:Pharynx; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D057832:Watchful Waiting
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents