Metastasis to ipsilateral medial retropharyngeal and deep cervical lymph nodes in 22 dogs with thyroid carcinoma

To determine the rate of nodal metastasis to the medial retropharyngeal (MRP) and deep cervical lymph nodes in dogs surgically treated for thyroid carcinoma.

Retrospective study.

Twenty-two client-owned dogs.

Medical records between July 2015 and October 2019 at the Universities of Missouri and Florida were reviewed. Dogs that underwent thyroidectomy with concurrent elective MRP lymphadenectomy ± deep cervical lymphadenectomy were included. Tumor site, preoperative staging, and histopathological findings were recorded.

Twenty-two dogs with 26 total thyroid carcinomas were included. Primary tumors were lateralized in 19 dogs, bilateral in two dogs, and bilateral and midline ectopic in one dog. All dogs underwent ipsilateral MRP resection, including bilateral resection in dogs with bilateral tumors. Three contralateral MRP lymph nodes were excised from dogs with unilateral carcinomas. Four deep cervical lymph nodes and one superficial cervical lymph node were excised. Metastases were identified in 14 lymph nodes in 10 of 22 (45%) dogs. All four excised deep cervical lymph nodes and one contralateral MRP lymph node were identified as metastatic. Size of deposit could be classified in 13 of 14 metastatic lymph nodes. Macrometastasis was detected in seven lymph nodes, micrometastasis was detected in one node, and isolated tumor cells were detected in five lymph nodes.

Regional metastasis was common within the lymph nodes sampled in this population of dogs with thyroid carcinoma.

These results provide evidence to justify further exploration of a larger population to verify the rate of regional metastasis and determine the prognostic impact of nodal metastasis.