Risk factors for lateral and skip lymph node metastasis in adolescents and young adults with papillary thyroid carcinoma

Key Points

• Lateral lymph node metastasis is linked to tumors larger than 1.1 cm and three or more central lymph node metastases.
• The analysis found that having five or fewer skip lymph node metastases is a risk factor for skip metastasis.
• Assessment using tumor size and lymph node involvement highlighted critical indicators in tumor progression.
• These findings may enable better risk stratification and treatment planning for young patients with thyroid cancer.