Three-field lymph node dissection improved the postoperative survival and accuracy of pathological staging of patients with esophageal cancer, and reduced the postoperative local recurrence rate of esophageal cancer patients. However, this surgical procedure enlarged the trauma, cansed more complications, prolonged postoperative hospital stays, and seriously impaired the postoperative adjuvant therapy. Therefore, selection of patients who are suitable for three-field lymph node dissection is extremely important. The special anatomical location of recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes is potentially suitable for it to serve as sentinel lymph node for the evacuation of cervical lymph nodes dissection in esophageal cancer. The guiding value of recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node metastasis in cervical lymph node dissection of thoracic esophageal cancer is reviewed.
三野淋巴结清扫术提高了食管癌患者术后生存率和病理分期的准确性，降低了食管癌术后局部复发率，但该术式创伤大，并发症多，患者术后住院时间延长，并严重影响术后辅助治疗。因此，选择适合行三野淋巴结清扫的患者极为重要。由于喉返神经旁淋巴结特殊的解剖位置，其有潜在作为食管癌颈部淋巴结清扫的前哨淋巴结的可能性。现就胸段食管癌喉返神经旁淋巴结转移对颈部淋巴结清扫的指导价值进行分析。.
Keywords: Cervical lymph node; Esophageal carcinoma; Recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node; Sentinel lymph node.