Table 3.
Univariate analysis of risk factors related to level V lymph node metastases
| Variables | Level V metastases | P‐value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present, n (%) | Absent, n (%) | ||
| Total | 27 (12.3) | 193 (87.7) | |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 6 (22.2) | 45 (23.3) | 0.900 |
| Female | 21 (77.8) | 148 (76.7) | |
| Age (years) | |||
| Mean ± SD | 41.9 ± 15.5 | 40.9 ± 13.2 | 0.708a |
| ≥45 | 9 (33.3) | 73 (37.8) | 0.651 |
| <45 | 18 (66.7) | 120 (62.2) | |
| Size (mm) | |||
| Mean ± SD | 29.2 ± 20.7 | 20.3 ± 11.6 | 0.021b |
| >10 | 26 (96.3) | 144 (74.6) | 0.012 |
| ≤10 | 1 (3.7) | 49 (25.4) | |
| Location of primary tumor | |||
| Superior lobe | 15 (55.6) | 96 (49.7) | 0.571 |
| Middle lobe | 19 (70.4) | 108 (56.0) | 0.156 |
| Inferior lobe | 11 (40.7) | 65 (33.7) | 0.470 |
| Capsular invasion | 24 (88.9) | 152 (78.8) | 0.218 |
| Extrathyroidal extension | 17 (63.0) | 82 (42.5) | 0.045 |
| Lymphocytic thyroiditis | 4 (14.8) | 44 (22.8) | 0.347 |
| Central lymph node metastases | |||
| Ipsilateral | 24 (88.9) | 149 (77.2) | 0.165 |
| Metastatic ratio ≥50% | 21 (77.8) | 107 (55.4) | 0.028 |
| Contralateral | 17 (63.0) | 70 (36.3) | 0.008 |
| Bilateral | 15 (55.6) | 67 (34.7) | 0.036 |
| Lateral lymph node metastases | |||
| Level II | 16 (59.3) | 85 (44.0) | 0.137 |
| Level III | 20 (74.1) | 118 (61.1) | 0.193 |
| Level IV | 18 (66.7) | 104 (53.9) | 0.211 |
| Level II + III | 13 (48.1) | 68 (35.2) | 0.193 |
| Level III + IV | 15 (55.6) | 72 (37.3) | 0.069 |
| Level II + III + IV | 11 (40.7) | 41 (21.2) | 0.026 |
a
The Student's t‐test was adopted.
b
The Wilcoxon rank‐sum test was adopted.