Risk factors for lateral cervical lymph node involvement in follicular thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Metastases from follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) are usually blood borne and far less to lymph nodes (LN). The present study was designed to evaluate the factors that are associated with LN metastases in patients operated on for FTC.

Methods: A retrospective review of 70 patients (25 men; mean age, 47 (range, 14-92) years) operated on between January 1995 and December 2005 for FTC was undertaken.