Background: Preoperative neck ultrasonography (US) may detect nodal metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) but its utility in detecting metastases at specific neck subsites and levels is not known. We therefore evaluated preoperative US in detecting cervical metastases of PTC according to neck subsites and levels.
Methods: Preoperative US was performed in 133 new patients to detect metastases at three central cervical subsites and five lateral cervical levels. All patients underwent total thyroidectomy and bilateral central neck dissection. Thirty-four patients with lateral nodal metastases underwent modified radical neck dissection.
Results: Lymph node metastases to the central and lateral cervical compartments were identified in 57.9% and 25.6%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of US for detecting central nodal metastasis were 61.0% and 92.8%, respectively. In the lateral neck, US detected non-palpable lymph node metastases in 6 of 34 patients (17.6%). Overall, US was >85.0% specific at all cervical subsites and levels.
Conclusion: Preoperative US may detect cervical metastases of PTC and may assist in determining the necessity and extent of neck dissection in PTC patients.