Clinicopathological pattern of lymph node recurrence of papillary thyroid cancer. Implications for surgery.

Introduction: Lymph nodal involvement in papillary thyroid cancers is very common, but the role of lymph node dissection is still controversial. Surgeons are consequently divided between opposed to and in favor of routine central neck dissection associated with total thyroidectomy.

Methods: Clinical records of 210 patients undergoing from January 2000 to December 2006 total thyroidectomy without routine lymph node dissection were retrospectively evaluated.