Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) stands as the most prevalent form of thyroid cancer, notorious for its proclivity to undergo lymphatic metastasis, thereby entailing elevated morbidity rates and dismal prognoses. Within the context of PTC management, Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) emerges as an evolving diagnostic technique to ascertain central lymph node metastases. This article seeks to assess the utility of radionuclide-guided SLNB in detecting central lymph node metastasis among PTC patients.

This prospective study enrolled 33 patients diagnosed with PTC, and subsequently underwent SLNB. Radionuclide injection was employed as a means of identifying cases of Sentinel Lymph Node involvement. The outcomes derived from this novel method were juxtaposed with the pathology results, regarded as the Gold Standard in this context. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were computed to gauge the performance of the radionuclide-guided SLNB

Among the 29 patients subjected to evaluation, the radionuclide-guided SLNB exhibited a sensitivity rate of 90.0% (CI95%: 54.1% - 99.5%), a specificity rate of 77.78% (CI95%: 51.9% - 92.6%), a positive predictive value of 69.2% (CI95%: 38.9% - 89.6%), a negative predictive value of 93.3% (CI95%: 66.0% - 99.7%), and an overall accuracy of 82.14% (CI95%: 63.11% - 93.94%).

Radionuclide-guided Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy emerges as a promising adjunct to surgical interventions for papillary thyroid carcinoma, largely attributed to its high sensitivity and low rate of false negatives. This innovative technique holds the potential to enhance the management of PTC patients by ensuring more accurate detection of central lymph node metastases