Background: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is evident in about 20-50% of cases at presentation in papillary carcinoma thyroid (PTC). There are no clear recommendations for the need and extent of lateral and central compartment dissection in PTC.
Methods: A total of 83 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and bilateral selective neck dissection for diagnosed PTC from September 2011 to October 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.
Results: Tumor site was bilobar or involving isthmus in 40 patients. Contralateral LNM was seen in 42 patients. Both radiological (median size 2.6 cm, P = 0.051) and pathological (median size 3.65 cm, P = 0.015) size of tumor, tumor involving isthmus or bilateral lobes (P = 0.006), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (P = 0.026) had significant correlation with contralateral LNM.
Conclusion: Size and site of tumor, ipsilateral lateral compartment nodes involvement, and LVI status of tumor significantly increases the probability of contralateral LNM in patients of PTC.
Keywords: Neck dissection; papillary carcinoma thyroid; thyroid cancer; thyroidectomy.