The clinical experience of region VI lymph nodes dissection in the surgical treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the significance of region Ⅵ lymph nodes dissection in surgical treatment of cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: 53 cases of PTC with cN0 received functional lymph nodes dissection were collected. The results of pathologic examination by region Ⅵ lymph nodes distinguished from lateral neck lymph nodes (Ⅱ-Ⅴ) were retrospectively analyzed. Results: In 53 cases, 11 cases (20.7%) showed region Ⅵ lymph nodes metastasis, 8 cases (15.1%) showed region Ⅱ-Ⅴ lymph nodes metastasis. In cases with region Ⅵ lymph nodes metastasis, the rate of Ⅱ-Ⅴ lymph nodes metastasis was 45.5%. Meanwhile, in cases without region Ⅵ lymph nodes metastasis, the rate of Ⅱ-Ⅴ lymph nodes metastasis was 7.1% (P0.01). Conclusion: The rate of region Ⅵ lymph nodes metastasis is high. It is necessary to dissect and have pathological examination of the region Ⅵ lymph nodes during the operation.