Prophylactic Selective Lateral Neck Dissection in Patients With Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Prophylactic Selective Lateral Neck Dissection in Patients With Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
The purpose of this study is to prospectively analyze the incidence of occult lateral neck
 metastasis (LNM) and to elucidate the factors that predict LNM in papillary thyroid carcinoma
 (PTC) with central neck metastasis (CNM) by performing prophylactic selective lateral neck
 dissection (SND).
The lymphatic drainage pattern of the thyroid is uniform and consistent, and therefore,
 metastatic patterns are relatively predictable. Initial nodal metastasis in PTC usually
 occurs in the paratracheal and pretracheal nodes in level VI of the central compartment of
 the ipsilateral neck and spreads to the lateral cervical lymph nodes. Macroscopic skip
 metastases to the lateral compartment of the neck in the absence of central disease are
 uncommon.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Papillary thyroid carcinoma with central neck metastasis

 -  No evidence of lateral neck metastasis as determined by high-resolution neck
 ultrasonography and computed tomography

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  History of previous thyroid operation

 -  Isthmic thyroid lesion