Table 2.
Analysis of factors on cervical lymph node metastases in patients with PTMC (n = 402)
| Variable | CLNM number (%) | Rate of metastasis (%) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | |||
| Female | 117 of 323 (36.2) | 29.1 | 0.032 |
| Male | 39 of 79 (49.4) | 9.7 | |
| Age at diagnosis (years) | |||
| < 45 | 83 of 192 (43.2) | 20.6 | 0.082 |
| ≥ 45 | 73 of 210 (34.7) | 18.2 | |
| Tumour size (mm) | |||
| ≤ 5 mm | 67 of 204 (32.8) | 16.7 | 0.013 |
| > 5 mm | 89 of 198 (44.9) | 22.1 | |
| Location | |||
| Bilateral | 46 of 78 (58.8) | 11.4 | 0.000 |
| Ipsilateral | 110 of 324(34.0) | 27.4 | |
| Tumor number | |||
| Solitary lesion | 103 of 305 (33.8) | 25.6 | 0.000a |
| Upper third | 26 of 110 (23.6) | 6.5 | 0.028b |
| Middle third | 41 of 101 (40.6) | 10.2 | |
| Lower third | 35 of 89 (39.3) | 8.7 | |
| Isthmus | 1 of 5 (20.0) | 0.2 | |
| Multifocal lesions | 52 of 97 (53.6) | 12.9 | |
| Multifocal in both lobes | 46 of 78 (59.0) | 11.4 | 0.032c |
| Multifocal in affected lobe | 6 of 19 (31.6) | 1.5 | |
| Thyroid capsular invasion | |||
| Yes | 57 of 119 (47.9) | 14.2 | 0.015 |
| No | 99 of 283 (35.0) | 24.6 | |
| Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis | |||
| Abscent | 115 of 315 (36.5) | 28.6 | 0.072 |
| Present | 41 of 87 (47.1) | 10.2 |
PTMC: papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.
a
The P value means the difference between the group solitary lesion and multifocal lesions.
b
The P value means the difference among the upper third, middle third, lower third, and isthmus in the group of solitary lesion.
c
The P value means the difference between the group multifocal in both lobes and in affected lobe in the group of multifocal lesions.