Risk factors for local recurrence following lateral neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate risk factors for local recurrence following lateral neck dissection (LND) for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: Two hundred and nine patients who underwent therapeutic primary or reoperative LND for PTC were included. Results: One hundred eighty-one patients underwent primary LND at our Institution, the remaining 28 were referred for recurrence following LND outside the Institution. Comparing patients who required reoperation for recurrent lateral neck disease with those who did not recur, no significant difference was found concerning sex, tumor size, multifocal disease, extracapsular invasion, histological variant, pT stage (P = NS). At univariate analysis, age, mean number of removed lateral neck nodes at first operation, the extent of initial LND and surgery performed outside the Institution were risk factors for recurrence (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Limited LND and surgery performed at non referral Centers were non tumor-related risk factors for recurrence following therapeutic LND for PTC.