Abstract: Objective To analyze the related factors of pulmonary changes and fever after cervical lymph node dissection for thyroid cancer.
Methods A total of 46 patients with thyroid cancer undergoing cervical lymph node dissection were collected.The effects of gender,age,smoking history,body mass index(BMI),surgical method and other factors on postoperative pulmonary changes and fever were analyzed statistically.
Results There were 10 cases of left neck dissection,24 cases of right neck dissection,and 12 cases of bilateral neck dissection.There was statistical significance in the incidence of lung changes among patients with different dissection methods(P<0.05).Postoperative pulmonary changes were positive in 8 patients,including 4 patients with postoperative fever(50%),and negative in 38 patients,including 1 patient with postoperative fever(2.6%).There was statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative fever(P<0.05).There were 4 cases of thinness,25 cases of normal weight,13 cases of overweight and 4 cases of obesity.There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of lung changes among patients with different body mass indexes(P>0.05),but there was statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative fever(P<0.05).
Conclusion Lung changes are more likely to occur after bilateral cervical lymph node dissection than after unilateral cervical lymph node dissection for thyroid cancer,and patients with lung changes are more likely to have postoperative fever.Patients who are lean or obese are more prone to pulmonary changes and postoperative fever.

Key words: thyroid cancer, neck lymph node dissection, pulmonary changes； fever