Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
Prediction of lateral lymph node metastases in medullary thyroid cancer
A Machens1, S Hauptmann, H Dralle
1Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. AndreasMachens@aol.com
Background:
In medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), there is a concordance between central and lateral neck involvement, but this relationship has not been assessed quantitatively.
Methods:
After compartment-oriented lymphadenectomy for untreated MTC, the numbers of central lymph node metastases with ipsilateral (195 patients) and contralateral (185 of 195 patients) lateral lymph node metastases were analysed retrospectively.
Results:
With one to three positive central lymph nodes, involvement of the ipsilateral lateral neck increased from 10.1 per cent (with no central node involvement) to 77 per cent, and from a mean of 0.6 to 3.7 nodal metastases (P < 0.001). With four or more central nodes, the rate was 98 per cent, with 10.7 nodal metastases (P = 0.001). A weaker increase was observed in the contralateral lateral neck: with one to nine positive central nodes, contralateral lateral neck involvement increased from 4.9 to 38 per cent, and from a mean of 0.6 to 2.3 nodal metastases (P = 0.011). With ten or more positive central nodes, the rate rose to 77 per cent, with 6.2 nodal metastases (P = 0.009). With one exception, contralateral lateral nodal metastases coexisted with metastases in the central and ipsilateral lateral neck.
Conclusion:
These data may lay the groundwork for more informed decision-making regarding dissection of the lateral neck compartments.
