Delphian node metastasis in head and neck cancers--oracle or myth?

Abstract

Delphian node (DN) refers to the pre-laryngeal or pre-cricoid nodal tissue often identified during laryngeal or thyroid surgery. The original nomenclature is based on the assumption that metastasis to this node was predictive of aggressive disease and poor outcome for patients. In this article, we review the existing literature on the topic to determine the significance of DN metastasis in laryngeal, hypopharyngeal and thyroid cancers.