The choice and significance of neck lymph node dissection for differentiated thyroid carcinoma        ZHANG Yang*，CUI Zhao-qing，SUN Shan-ping，et al. *Department of Breast &Thyroid Surgery，Liaocheng People’s Hospital of Shandong Province，Liaocheng 252000，China
Corresponding author: ZHANG Yang, E-mail: zhangyang5366@yahoo.com
Abstract    Objective    To explore the operation mode choice and significance of neck lymph node dissection for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Methods    From January 2007 to June 2010, 428 cases (506 sides) of DTC were treated by operations at Liaocheng People’s Hospital of Shandong Province. Among them, 349 cases performed simplified operative procedure depended on standard modified radical thyroidectomy. The lymph nodes of neck were evaluated separately. The complications of different operation modes were compared. Results    Four hundreds and forty-one sides performed central lymph node dissection(Ⅵ ) with metastasis rate of 52.83%. Three hundreds and eighty-five sides performed lateral lymph node dissection ( Ⅱa、Ⅲ、Ⅳ、Ⅴb ) with metastasis rate of 44.42%, among which Ⅱa area, Ⅲ area, Ⅳ area and Ⅴb area accounted for 23.98%, 67.84%, 53.80% and 4.68% respectively. Conclusion DTC has high metastasis rate even if it is microcarcinoma. So the patients of cN0 should performed lymph node dissection to decrease the possibility of recurrence and evaluate the clinical stage. Simplified modified radical thyroidectomy is valuable to be promoted because it is closer to the principle of functional radical dissection with less trauma and more indications.