Identifying risk factors for metastasis to the level VII lymph node in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients

The level VI lymph nodes are anatomically connected to the level VII lymph nodes and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) can metastasis to both regions. The aim of this study was to identify clinicopathologic factors associated with level VII lymph node metastasis. Between March 2015 and September 2016, a total of 275 consecutive patients were operated on for PTC with prophylactic level VII dissection at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, ZheJiang, China. Patients with PTC were performed via video-assisted approach. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between clinicopathologic factors. Of the 275 subjects enrolled in this study, 79 patients (28.73%) showed lymph node metastasis to the level VII. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed ultrasonography-positive lymph nodes (p