Background Central compartment lymph node dissection is a common adjunct to
thyroidectomy in the treatment of papillary thyroid cancer. The indications, surgical
technique, potential benefits, and operative risks of this procedure should be clearly defined
in order to provide optimal care to these patients. Methods A systematic review of the
literature and an analysis of evidence-based recommendations were performed regarding
central neck node dissection for patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Results Cervical …

Objective To examine the role of central neck dissection (CND) in patients with papillary
thyroid cancer (PTC). Design Retrospective analysis of patients treated for PTC between
1993 and 2008. Setting Academic institution. Patients All patients diagnosed with PTC who
underwent surgical therapy at our institution. Main Outcome Measures Recurrence,
hypocalcemia, hypoparathyroidism, and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury. Results A
total of 136 patients were treated for PTC, 26 of whom were excluded because their initial …