Chinese Journal Of Clinical Anatomy ›› 2017, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (2): 144-146.doi: 10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2017.02.005

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Quantification and distribution of lymph nodes in the central neck compartment: clinical anatomic study

ZHANG Hua1, LIANG Xiao-yan2, WANG Ming-hua1, WANG Geng1   

  1. 1. Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, 2. Department of Cardiac Surgery, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of  Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
  • Received:2016-09-22 Online:2017-03-25 Published:2017-04-27
  • Contact: WANG Ming-hua, E-mail:wangmh1970@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To study the quantification and distribution of lymph nodes in central neck compartment(CNC). Methods The data of 304 patients who had papillary thyroid cancer that underwent unilateral/bilateral central neck dissection (CND) from June 2013 to June 2016 were analyzed. The fresh CNC specimen was separated into four sublevel (prelaryngeal region, pretracheal region, left paratracheal region, right paratracheal region), and underwent pathologic examination, respectively. The number of lymph nodes was counted. Results The lymph nodes yielded in CND were as follows: bilateral CCN: (9.86±3.36)(4~20); left CCN: (6.24±2.23)(2~14); right CCN: (7.77±2.79) (2~15). The lymph node distribution of CND was as follows: precricoid region: (1.29±0.75) (0~4); pretracheal region: (2.62±1.26)(0~7); left paratracheal region: (2.38±1.34)(0~6); right paratracheal region: (3.97±1.97)(0~10). The ratio of the four region was 12.69%,24.47%,24.15%,and 38.47%, respectively. The lymph node distribution of the right paratracheal region was as follows: lateral region of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve: (1.35±1.27) (0~6); medial region of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve: (2.64±1.75)(0~9).    Conclusion    Our study was the first one to report  the quantification and distribution of lymph nodes in the central neck compartment in China, which can provide anatomic basis for surgeon during central neck dissection.

Key words: Central neck compartment, Lymph node, Anatomy, Thyroid cancer, Central neck dissection