[A study of a regional lymph node metastasis in a well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma].

Forty-eight patients with a well-differentiated thyroid cancer that occupied unilateral lobe were given, a modified radical neck dissection (unilateral or bilateral). After an examination of their lymph nodes, a retrospective analysis showed that the metastasis extended to the lateral cervical lymph node on the ipsilateral neck in 43.8% of all cases, and to at least the paratracheal lymph node on the contralateral neck in 27.2% of all cases. Therefore a bilateral modified radical neck dissection is needed surgical treatment for such patients.