OBJECTIVETo investigate the number of dissected lymph nodes and the incidence of injury to parathyroid glands during surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in young patients.

METHODSThis study collected clinicopathological data of 51 young patients with PTC. Of the 51 patients, 18 patients were classified into carbon nanoparticles group (CNP group) and 33 patients into traditional surgical group (TS group). The number of dissected lymph nodes and the incidence of injury to parathyroid glands were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum test and chi-square test.

RESULTSThere were 16 males and 35 females, with a male/female ratio of 1: 2.19. The age ranged from 14 to 29 (25 ± 3.9) years. There was no statistically significant difference in age, gender, T-classification, TNM stage and surgical procedures between two groups (P > 0.05). The total number of dissected lymph nodes in CNP group was higher than that in TS group (Z = -2.258, P < 0.05) . However, significant difference in the total number of metastatic lymph nodes between the two groups was not found (Z = -0.396, P > 0.05). In level VI, the detected lymph node number of group CNP was higher than that of TS group (Z = -2.461, P < 0.05) but there was no significant difference in the detected number of metastatic lymph nodes (Z = -1.396, P > 0.05) . The rates of injury to parathyroid gland were 5.5% in CNP group and 18.2% in TS group, respectively (χ(2) = 1.568, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCarbon nanoparticles could be an effective lymph nodes tracer applying to PTC operation in young patients.