Significance of clearing differentiated thyroid carcinoma lymph node by high-frequency color Doppler ultrasonography.

Abstract

We compared the clinical effects and prognosis of patients receiving lymph node dissection after surgical removal of the thyroid tissues and those not receiving it after the removal. A total of 80 patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) by our hospital from March 2012 to March 2014 were successively included in the study. The cases were divided into the control group (n=36 cases) and observation group (n=44 cases), and the two groups underwent total or subtotal resection of the thyroid. In the control group, patients underwent preoperative high-frequency color ultrasonography, and the most suspicious lymph node was removed. In the observation group, patients underwent preoperative high-frequency color ultrasonography, and the surgeons cleared the lymph node of the widest range. Difference in clinical effects and prognosis of the two groups were compared. After nearly a year's follow-up observation, the tumor recurrence rate of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group and the survival rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The rate of surgery complications and comparative difference of the two patient groups had no statistical significance (P>0.05). When comparing the data of lymphatic metastasis tested by preoperative high-frequency color ultrasonography with intraoperative diagnosed figures, sensitivity was 97.4%, specificity 33.3%, positive predictive value 90.2% and the negative predictive value 66.7%. In conclusion, removal of the lymph node for DTC patients having undergone thyroid tissue excision with preoperative high-frequency color ultrasonography can be beneficial to improve the effects along with reduction in the recurrence rate.