목적: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors predictive of central occult compartment lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) 방법:We undertook retrospective study of 1691 patient treated for PTMC. The following criteria were assessed to predict the presence of occult central compartment lymph node metastasis sex, age, tumor size, tumor multifocality, BRAF mutation, and extracapsular extension. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify clinicopathological characteristics for predicting occult central compartment lymph node metastasis from PTMC 결과:The central compartment lymph node metastasis affected 490 (29.0%) of 1691 patients. With use of multivariate analyses, age (>45) (OR 1.766, P<0.000), sex (OR 1.679, P=0.003), tumor size (>5mm)(OR 1.453, P=0.001) extracapsular spread(OR 1.432, P=0.002), BRAF mutation (OR 1.276, P=0.034), tumor multifocality (OR 1.794, P<0.000) were independently correlated with occult central compartment lymph node metastasis. 결론:A prophylactic central compartment neck dissection should be considered particular in PTMC patients with age (>45 years old), male gender, a >5mm tumor size, the presence of extracapsular spread, positive BRAF mutation and tumor multifocality.