Suspicious cervical lymph nodes detected after thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid cancer usually remain stable over years in properly selected patients.

CONTEXT The risk of loco-regional recurrence in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients ranges from 15-30%. However, the clinical significance of small-volume loco-regional recurrence detected by highly sensitive ultrasonography is unclear. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to describe the natural history of abnormal cervical lymph nodes (LN) diagnosed after initial treatment. DESIGN We conducted a retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS 166 PTC with patients who had at least one abnormal LN outside the thyroid be on ultrasound and selected for active surveillance were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE LN growth during a period of active surveillance was the primary outcome. RESULTS Most patients had classical PTC (85%) and an intermediate risk of recurrence (77%). The median LN size at the start of the observation period was 1.3 cm (range, 0.5-2.7 cm) in largest diameter, with all nodes having at least one abnormal sonographic characteristic (70% of patients had LN with at least two abnormal features). In almost all patients, the LN were in the lateral neck, primarily in levels 3 (43%) and 4 (58%). After a median follow-up of 3.5 yr, only 20% (33 of 166) grew at least 3 mm, 9% (15 of 166) grew at least 5 mm, and 14% (23 of 166) resolved. None of the clinical or sonographic features were predictive of LN growth (positive predictive value range = 0.21-0.57). There were no local complications (nerve damage or local invasion) related to the abnormal nodes and no disease-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS Suspicious cervical LN in the lateral neck usually remain stable for long periods of time in properly selected PTC patients and can be safely followed with serial ultrasounds.