Risk factors analysis of lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective study of 830 patients

The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Clinicopathological data (age, gender, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, preoperative circulating tumor cells (CTCs), multifocal, maximum lesion diameter, invaded capsule, T stage, and lymph node metastasis) of 830 PTC patients diagnosed and treated in Meizhou People’s Hospital from June 2021 to April 2023 were collected. The related factors of lateral cervical lymph node metastasis were analyzed.

There were 334 (40.2%), and 103 (12.4%) PTC patients with central lymph node metastasis, and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis, respectively. Compared with patients without lateral cervical lymph node metastasis, PTC patients with lateral cervical lymph node metastasis had a higher proportion of multifocal, maximum lesion diameter > 1 cm, invaded capsule, T3-T4 stage. Regression logistic analysis showed that male (odds ratio (OR): 2.196, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.279–3.769, p = 0.004), age < 55 years old (OR: 2.057, 95% CI: 1.062–3.988, p = 0.033), multifocal (OR: 2.759, 95% CI: 1.708–4.458, p < 0.001), maximum lesion diameter > 1 cm (OR: 5.408, 95% CI: 3.233–9.046, p < 0.001), T3-T4 stage (OR: 2.396, 95% CI: 1.241–4.626, p = 0.009), and invaded capsule (OR: 2.051, 95% CI: 1.208–3.480, p = 0.008) were associated with lateral cervical lymph node metastasis.

Male, age < 55 years old, multifocal, maximum lesion diameter > 1 cm, T3-T4 stage, and invaded capsule were independent risk factors for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in PTC.