Thyroid cancer ranks as the seventh most common tumor globally in terms of incidence and fifth in women[1]. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the major subtype among thyroid malignancies, accounting for approximately 80 % of all thyroid cancers[2]. Cervical regional lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a risk factor associated with local recurrence and poor survival in patients with PTC, which can reach an incidence of 40 % − 90 %[3,4]. Furthermore, recurrence and persistent disease occurs in 30 % …