A 50-year-old woman undergoes thyroidectomy for papillary carcinoma. A small node found on the surface of the cricothyroid membrane over the median thyroid ligament, often involved early in thyroid malignancy, is called the:
- A Jugulodigastric node
- B Virchow node
- C Delphian node ✓
- D Paratracheal node of level IV
Correct answer: C. Delphian node
Explanation
The Delphian node is the prelaryngeal node lying on the cricothyroid membrane in the midline. It drains the thyroid isthmus and larynx and is named for giving an early prophetic clue of thyroid cancer, since involvement suggests tumour extension beyond the gland. Virchow's node is supraclavicular and signals abdominal malignancy, jugulodigastric nodes relate to the tonsil, and level IV paratracheal nodes lie deeper along the lower internal jugular chain.
Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th ed.
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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.