Assessing the Role of Inflammatory Markers in Predicting Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

The current study sought to assess the predictive value of inflammatory markers, namely the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in relation to central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

A total of 79 participants with confirmed PTC diagnosis following surgery were included in the study. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and laboratory variables were collected. CLNM was evaluated based on pathological findings. NLR and PLR were calculated to assess their associations with clinicopathological features and metastasis.

The study included 26 males (25.9%) and 53 females (74.1%), with a mean age of 42.26 years (range 15-74). Significant findings included a higher incidence of CLNM in males (p=0.047) and larger tumor sizes in patients with CLNM (p=0.047). Tumor multifocality was also more common in the CLNM group (62.5% vs. 28.9%, p=0.003). Although no significant relationship was found between the inflammatory markers NLR, PLR, and CLNM, a meaningful association was observed between PLR and age in patients with CLNM (r= 0.414, p=0.011).

This study demonstrates significant associations between clinicopathological features and CLNM in PTC. Male gender, larger tumor size, and multifocality correlated with higher CLNM rates. While inflammatory markers such as NLR and PLR did not show significant differences, PLR's positive correlation with age in CLNM patients suggests potential prognostic value, warranting further investigation.