Objective: To investigate the clinical value of intraoperative injection of carbon nanoparticles in central neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 270 consecutive PTC patients were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 70 cases (78 sides) underwent intraoperative injection of carbon nanoparticles (observation group), and the other 200 cases (215 sides) underwent conventional surgery without injection of carbon nanoparticles (control group). Routine pathological examination was performed in all resected specimens. Results: The basic clinicopathologic data showed no significant difference between the two groups of patients (all P>0.05), and were comparable. The total number of detected lymph nodes was 475 and 790 in observation group and control group, respectively. The average number of detected lymph nodes for each side in observation group was greater than that in control group (5.50 vs. 3.00, P<0.01), but that showed no significant difference between the two groups in patients with lymphocytic thyroiditis (6.00 vs. 4.50, P>0.05). The metastatic rate in the black-stained lymph nodes was less than that in those without staining in observation group (21.67% vs. 39.15%, χ2=17.250, P<0.01). Conclusion: Carbon nanoparticle injection can increase the number of lymph node detection during central neck dissection for papillary thyroid cancer, but the value is limited in patients with lymphocytic thyroiditis.