Archives

Abstract
Background  The pattern of lateral cervical metastases from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has been reported without a clear understanding
of the distribution of central nodes at risk. The present study evaluated the pattern of central and lateral cervical metastases
from PTC with respect to recently defined neck sublevels and subsites.

Methods  Between 2003 and 2006, 52 consecutive patients with lateral cervical metastases from previously untreated PTC underwent total

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid (PTC) is the commonest thyroid cancer. In the recent decades an obvious increase in the incidence of PTC has occurred. The pathological diagnosis of PTC is usually an easy diagnosis in the majority of cases. However since the introduction of follicular variant of PTC and the wide threshold range in interpretation of the clearly set pathological criteria for diagnosis of PTC, between pathologists including experts, the diagnosis in some cases became quite difficult.