Abstract: Objectlve:To study the characteristics of cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer and to evaluate the clinical value of preoperative ultrasound detection in diagnosing cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 568 thyroid cancer patients who underwent cervical lymph node dissection. All of the pa -tients had preoperative thyroid ultrasonography and identification of the areas of cervical lymph node metastasis. The num -bers of lymph nodes distributed inⅠ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, V, Ⅵand Ⅻareas were recorded. The results were compared with those of postoperative pathology.Results: The accordance rate of thyroid ultrasonography in diagnosing thyroid cancer was88%. Of the 392 patients with positive lymph nodes, 289 had cervical lymph node metastasis in more than one area, mainly in . Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, and Ⅵareas (P<0.01). The accordance rate of preoperative ultrasonography in diagnosing cervical lymph node metastasis was 80%. The diagnositic rate was high for metastatic lymph nodes inⅢ, Ⅳ, Ⅵand Ⅶareas. Conclusion:The diagnostic rate of preoperative ultrosonography for cervical lymoh node metastasis is high. Cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer involves more than one area. For patients with thyroid cancer, localization diagnosis, qualitative diagno-sis, and quantitative diagnosis can be achieved through pretoperative ultrasonography, guiding the subsequent surgical treatment. Preoperative ultrasonography should be an routine for detection of cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer.