Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
Transoral Robotic Total Thyroidectomy and Bilateral Central Regional Lymph Node Dissection for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: September 15, 2023
Preoperative US-guided hook-needle insertion in recurrent lymph nodes of papillary thyroid cancer: a help for the
Raphaëlle Duprez1, Patrick Lebas, Olivier Saint Marc
1Radiology department, Hôpital Porte-Madeleine, CHR Orléans, BP 2439, 45032 Orléans Cedex 1, France. raphaelle.duprez@wanadoo.fr
Objective:
The objective of this study is to investigate whether preoperative ultrasound guided insertion of a hook-needle is useful in reoperations for cervical recurrent lymph node metastases of papillary thyroid cancer.
Patients And Methods:
8 patients with operated papillary thyroid cancer were included in this study. They all had suspicious nonpalpable cervical lymph nodes discovered during follow-up. These lymph nodes were identified by ultrasound imaging and their metastatic nature was confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology and measurement of in situ thyroglobulin. In all cases, surgical excision of these lymph nodes was decided. All 8 patients had a hook-needle inserted in the suspicious lymph node(s) preoperatively and under ultrasound guidance.
Results And Conclusion:
In all 8 patients, the suspicious lymph nodes were removed and their metastatic nature was confirmed by the final pathological examination. This localization technique is very helpful for the surgeon during the excision of small and nonpalpable lymph nodes, especially in previously operated area.