Abstract:

Purpose: In papillary thyroid cancer, lymphatic metastasis is frequent. This study was aimed at evaluating the rate of paratrakeal lymphatic metastasis against papillary thyroid cancer, the risk factors for the opposite lymphatic metastasis and their effects on the width of the lymphatic disection area. Tools and Methods: Papillary thyroid cancer was diagnosed, data of 27 patients (19K, 8E) with an average age of 44 (16-75) who were applied central and/or therapeutic lateral neck disection with thyroidectomy. On the opposite side of paratrakeal metastasis development on age, gender, extratiroidal spread, multifocality, bilaterality, lymphovascular invasion, stage T, the presence of prelaringeal metastasis, pretrakeal lymphatic metastasis, the same side of paratrakeal lymphatic metastasis, the effect of the presence of lateral metastasis was evaluated. For statistical purposes, "Ki-Care" and "Fisher's Certain Probability" tests were used. Results: In addition to total thyroidectomy, these patients were given bilateral central disection and therapeutic lateral neck disection in addition to 12. The T stage was respectively T1: 16 (59.3%), T2: 7 (25.9%), T3: 4 (14.8%). The development of counterparatrakeal metastases was significantly high in the presence of lateral metastases (100% vs. 47.6%; p=0.05). The result: in papillary thyroid cancer, lymphatic nod metastasis is frequent, and metastasis occurs primarily in the lymphatic glands of the same side paratrakeal area. Patients with lateral metastases are at a higher risk of developing paratrakeal metastases. Detection of lateral and/or lymphatic metastases pre-operative or peroperative should be taken into consideration when conducting bilateral central neck disection.

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