Abstract:
Objective To discuss the correlation between the stimulated thyroglobulin (Tg) level after surgery in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and cervical lymph node metastasis.
Methods Total thyroidectomy or subtotal thyroidectomy and radical cervical lymphadenectomy have been performed in 45 cases with PTC. All patients have been divided into two groups (L1 group and L0 group) according to whether lymph node metastasis exists. The stimulated Tg level after surgery were mesured and analyzed by t test with statistical software.
Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in age (t=-0.675, P > 0.05) and gender(χ2=1.20, P > 0.05), but significant difference could be found in stimulated Tg level after surgery between the two groups(t=4.167, P < 0.01). There was positive correlation between the stimulatied Tg level after surgery and cervical lymph node metastasis in L1 group(r=0.676, P < 0.01).
Conclusion The stimulated Tg level after surgery is closely correlated to cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with PTC, which can be used as an assessment of the effect of the postsurgical 131I therapy and prognosis.