Sentinel lymph node biopsy in the management of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Background: Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC) predominantly metastasizes into regional lymph nodes and is associated with significant incidence of occult central and lateral nodal metastases as high as 50%. No evidence exists in favor of prophylactic neck dissection for PTC. Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) biopsy helps to identify patients who might benefit from lymph node dissection in breast cancer and localized melanoma. The purpose of this study is to assess the potential of SLN biopsy in the selection of patients with PTC who would benefit from cervical lymph node dissection.