Objective:To study the regularity of cervical lymph metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer and select a reasonable extent of lymph node dissection.Methods :Clinical data of 457 papillary thyroid cancer patients at our hospital between Jun,2003 and Sep,2007 were retrospectively reviewed.Results:All patients routinely underwent bilateral thyroidectomy and deep and central cervical lymph node dissection (Ⅲ,Ⅳ＋Ⅵ region). The total rate of cervical lymph node metastasis was 63.67 %（291/457）, metastases that occurred in central region and deep jugular lymph nodes was 59.08% (270/457) and 29.76% (136/457),respectively.The rate of cervical lymph node metastasis was markedly increased with diameter of primary neoplasm＞1 cm or tumor penetrating through the thyroid capsule (P＜0.05).Conclusions:For papillary thyroid cancer,the most common cervical lymph node metastasis is the central region,then the deep jugular(Ⅲ＋Ⅳ region) lymph nodes.For primary operation, it is necessary to routinely dissect the bilateral central lymph nodes,and it is reasonable to dissect the ipsilateral deep jugular lymph nodes when diameter of primary neoplasm is ＞1 cm or tumor penetrate through the thyroid capsule.