Table 3 Comparison of the number of lymph nodes identified by pathology and central neck lymph node metastasis in the CNs and control groups
|  | CN group (n = 334) | Control group (n = 52) | χ2(t/Z) value | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of identified lymph nodes (\( \overline{x}\pm s \)) | ||||
 Unilateral CND | 5.88 ± 4.12 | 6.02 ± 4.44 | t = − 0.215 | 0.830 |
 Bilateral CND | 9.81 ± 5.68 | 11.06 ± 7.84 | Z = − 0.178 | 0.859 |
Central neck lymph node metastasis (n/N, %) | ||||
 LN (+) | 176/334 (52.7%) | 24/52 (46.2%) | χ2 = 0.771 | 0.380 |
 LN (−) | 158/334 (47.3%) | 28/52 (53.8%) | ||