Abstract
BACKGROUND: with the requirement of aggressive follow-up in patients with biochemically incomplete response in patients of papillary ca. thyroid with neck node, a predictor for clinical response would be of great help for better treatment and follow-up planning. AIM: To determine the utility of lymph-node ratio (central and lateral) as predictors for clinical response post total thyroidectomy and neck dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 51 patients of papillary carcinoma thyroid with neck node were treated with surgery and RAI as per ATA guidelines and were analyzed for a median of 3 years. (Retrospective cohort analysis). RESULTS: We did response evaluation, correlated clinical response with lymph-node ratios. We found a statistically significant relationship of lymph-node ratio with around a sensitivity and specificity of approximately 90% in predicting the biochemically incomplete response. CONCLUSION: we conclude that lateral and central compartment ratios can be used in predicting the occurrence of biochemically incomplete response.