Background & objective: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common primary cancer originating from thyroid follicular cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive predictors of micrometastasis in central lymph nodes in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The study population was all known PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection of the central neck nodes based on the current indications. Confirmation of central lymph node involvement was performed by permanent smear after surgery. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. A P-value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: There was no significant relationship between age, gender, family history of PTC, family history of thyroid disease, multinodularity, history of other thyroid diseases, involvement of two thyroid lobes, and tumor grade with central lymph node involvement (P>0.05). There was a significant relationship between the tumor pathology and size with central lymph node involvement (P<0.05). Moreover, logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that female gender, multinodularity, and tumor size had a significant relationship with the incidence of central lymph node involvement (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Female gender, multinodularity, and larger tumor size may be predictors of micrometastasis in central lymph nodes in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.
Keywords: Central lymph nodes; Micrometastasis; Papillary thyroid cancer.