Use superb microvascular imaging to diagnose and predict metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Purpose: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) is closely associated with disease recurrence. This study accessed the value of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in the diagnosis and prediction of metastatic cervical LNs in patients with PTC.

Methods: A total of 183 cervical LNs (103 metastatic and 80 reactive) from 116 patients with PTC were analysed.