Abstract
From 1999 to 2008, three patients were referred to Osaka General Medical Center for an evaluation of enlarged neck lymph nodes. Two cases showed cystic lymph nodes. Neck lymph node biopsies were required for confirmation of the diagnosis. The thyroid lesions were histologically found to be papillary carcinoma in all cases. Total thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy with isthmus resection accompanied by neck dissection were carried out. In all cases, minimal lesions less than 1.0cm in diameter were not detected by CT or PET/CT, but were detected by a pathological examination of specimens subserially sectioned at 2.5 to 3mm intervals. We stress the clinical significance of cystic node metastasis from papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.
