Objective To investigate the value of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in predicting the metastasis of central cervical lymph nodes (CCLN) in differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and to explore reasonable program for CCLN dissection. Methods This retrospective analysis was performed basing on the clinical data of 407 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who were admitted to the Department of General Surgery of Xuanwu Hospital from June 2013 to December 2016, including 237 patients with microcarcinoma. Results ① The results of the lymph nodes detection. All patients had detected 7 766 lymph nodes (1 238 metastatic lymph nodes were detected from 219 patients), and 2 085 sentinel lymph nodes were detected (448 metastatic sentinel lymph nodes were detected from 189 patients). In the patients with microcarcinoma, there were 3 614 lymph nodes were detected (390 metastatic lymph nodes were detected from 97 patients), and 1 202 sentinel lymph nodes were detected (149 metastatic sentinel lymph nodes were detected from 82 patients). ② The value of SLNB to predict CCLN metastasis. The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of SLNB to predict CCLN metastasis for all patients was 86.30% (189/219), 100% (188/188), 0 (0/189), 13.70% (30/219), 100% (189/189), and 86.24% (188/218) respectively; for patients with microcarcinoma was 84.54% (82/97), 100% (140/140), 0 (0/82), 15.46% (15/97), 100% (82/82), and 90.32% (140/155), respectively. ③ The value of SLNB to predict the presence of additional positive lymph nodes (APLN). The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of SLNB to predict the APLN for all patients was 81.48% (132/162), 76.73% (188/245), 23.27% (57/245), 18.52% (30/162), 69.84% (132/189) and 86.24% (188/218), respectively; for patients with microcarcinoma was 73.68% (42/57), 77.78% (140/180), 22.22% (40/180), 26.32% (15/57), 51.22% (42/82) and 90.32% (140/155) respectively. ④ The value of positive sentinel lymph node ratio (PSLNR) to predict the presence of the APLN. The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PSLNR to predict the APLN for all patients was 71.97%, 78.95%, 21.05%, 28.03%, 88.79%, and 54.88% respectively, and the cutoff for PSLNR was 0.345 2. For patients with microcarcinoma, the sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PSLNR to predict the APLN was 83.33%, 67.50%, 32.50%, 16.67%, 72.92%, and 79.41% respectively, and the cutoff for PSLNR was 0.291 7. Conclusion There is an important predicted value of SLNB for CCLN dissection in the patients suffered from differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and the PSLNR is a reliable basis for CCLN dissection.
ObjectiveTo explore the significance of thyroglobulin in the evaluation of lymph node metastasis during the treatment and follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.MethodThe literatures about thyroid globulin evaluation of lymph node metastasis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma were collected through online database and summarized.ResultsThe determination of thyroglobulin played an important role in the perioperative evaluation of lymph node metastasis in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, the guidance of postoperative radiotherapy for metastasis, and the monitoring of recurrence and metastasis, and thyroglobulin combined with imaging examination could improve its evaluation efficiency.ConclusionsThyroglobulin is an important marker for the evaluation of lymph node metastasis in the treatment and follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Combination between thyroglobulin and imaging examination or other laboratory indicators to comprehensively explore its diagnostic threshold is a new idea, that can improve its value in the evaluation of lymph node metastasis.
In response to the “Healthy China 2030” strategy, the General Surgery Quality Control Center of Sichuan Province and the Thyroid Surgery Innovation and Transformation Branch of Sichuan Medical Science and Technology Innovation Association, jointly established 18 quality control (QC) nodes. This framework integrates evidence from many major domestic and international guidelines/consensus and regional clinical QC practices in Western China. The system encompasses three core dimensions: diagnostic logic accuracy (e.g., TQC-01 for targeted screening to avoid over diagnosis by specifying high-risk ultrasonography indications); evidence-based treatment hierarchy (e.g., TQC-06/TQC-08 standardizing staging protocols for surgical indications); treatment outcome optimization (e.g., TQC-09 for intraoperative neural monitoring and TQC-16 for long-term quality-of-life tracking). A four-phase closed-loop management structure is implemented. Screening intervention: imaging restricted to high-risk populations. Standardized diagnosis: initial nodule evaluation with serological testing (TQC-02) and pathological verification (TQC-04). Treatment protocolization: stratified execution of surgery/ablation indications (TQC-10). Dynamic prognosis monitoring: 10-year survival tracking post-differentiated thyroid cancer surgery (TQC-17) and multidimensional ablation efficacy assessment (TQC-16). Under the collaborative governance of regional leading institutions, this framework has demonstrated significant impact: reduction of low-value care (e.g., avoidance of non-indicated biopsy for suspicious lesion <1 cm), elimination of critical process omissions (including mandatory TNM staging compliance), and advancement toward regional healthcare quality homogenization. These contributions establish a replicable paradigm for enhancing China’s national thyroid disease clinical quality ecosystem.