Predicting Factors for Central or Lateral Lymph Node Metastasis in Conventional Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma

Abstract Background Optimal management for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors predictive of cervical lymph node metastasis in conventional PTMCs. Methods Conventional PTMC patients (n=2,404) undergoing surgery between 2010 to 2017 were grouped and analyzed according to the positivity of cervical lymph node. Results Central lymph node (CLN) metastases and lateral lymph node (LLN) metastases were observed in 915 (38.1%) and 184 (7.7%) cases, respectively. Multivariate analysis found that male (odds ratio [OR]=1.974, p Conclusion Male, younger age, tumor size, ETE, multifocality, and intrathyroidal spreading predict increased CLN metastasis in PTMCs. In patients with suspicious lateral lymphadenopathy, the presence of CLN metastasis is independently associated with LLN metastasis.