title: The relevance of preoperative ultrasound cervical mapping in patients with thyroid cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical lymph node involvement in thyroid cancer is associated with locoregional recurrence and decreased disease-free survival. Preoperative lymph node mapping helps in planning surgery for neck dissection and improves patient outcomes. We sought to perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis of ultrasound mapping for thyroid cancer and evaluate the clinical importance of this exam in terms of identifying the group of patients who would benefit most from subsequent surgical dissection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 263 patients who underwent thyroid surgery between 2009 and 2013. We calculated the positive predictive values (PPVs) of ultrasound mapping of both the lateral and central compartments together and the lateral or central compartment individually. A quantitative analysis was performed by comparing the number of positive lymph nodes at ultrasound imaging with histopathologic evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 136 cases of thyroid cancer in 120 patients met the inclusion criteria for ultrasound mapping analysis. The PPVs (and 95% confidence intervals) were 83.82 (0.76-0.89) for the lateral and central compartments, 85.39% (0.76-0.91) for the lateral compartment, and 80.48% (0.7-0.87) for the central compartment. When comparing the positive lymph nodes at ultrasound imaging with histopathologic evaluation, the result was χ(2) = 10.33 (p = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This single-institution study indicated that preoperative ultrasound mapping is an accurate imaging procedure for predicting lymphatic spread in differentiated and medullary thyroid cancer. Ultrasound mapping can be used as an efficient tool for surgical planning and prognosis determination, as well as for identifying the group of patients who would benefit most from subsequent surgical intervention.
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal (Kocharyan); the departments of Surgery (Schwenter) and Surgical Oncology (Schwenter, Nassif), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal; and the departments of Radiology (Bélair) and Surgical Oncology (Nassif), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Que.
authors.forename: Davit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kocharyan
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal (Kocharyan); the departments of Surgery (Schwenter) and Surgical Oncology (Schwenter, Nassif), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal; and the departments of Radiology (Bélair) and Surgical Oncology (Nassif), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Que.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schwenter
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal (Kocharyan); the departments of Surgery (Schwenter) and Surgical Oncology (Schwenter, Nassif), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal; and the departments of Radiology (Bélair) and Surgical Oncology (Nassif), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Que.
authors.forename: Manon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bélair
authors.affiliation: From the Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal (Kocharyan); the departments of Surgery (Schwenter) and Surgical Oncology (Schwenter, Nassif), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal; and the departments of Radiology (Bélair) and Surgical Oncology (Nassif), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Que.
authors.forename: Edgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nassif
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D018249:Adenoma, Oxyphilic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult