Objective: To investigate the skip lateral lymph node metastasis (lateral cervical lymph node metastasis without central lymph node metastasis) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and the influential factors. Methods: The clinical data of 177 PTC patients with confirmed lateral cervical lymph metastasis by postoperative pathology in Fujian Province Hospital from January 2014 to December 2015 were reviewed (all patients underwent operation for the first time). The relations of clinicopathologic features of the patients with skip lateral lymph node metastasis, and the influential factors for skip lateral lymph node metastasis were analyzed. Results: Skip metastasis was found in 29 cases (16.4%) of the 177 patients with lateral cervical lymph node metastasis. Univariate analysis showed that skip lateral lymph node metastasis in PTC was significantly related to primary tumor size≤10 mm and the primary tumor location involving the superior pole of the thyroid gland (χ2=8.645, P=0.003; χ2=4.267, P=0.039), while it was irrelevant to age, gender, lesion number, lesion distribution, tumor invasion, tumor stage, and concomitant Hashimoto disease (all P>0.05); both the detected number and positive number of lgmph nodes in both central compartment and lateral neck in patients with skip lateral lymph node metastasis were significantly less than those in patients without skip lateral lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the primary tumor size≤10 mm (OR=3.499, 95% CI=1.509–8.110, P=0.004) and the primary tumor location involving the superior pole of the thyroid gland (OR=0.397, 95% CI=0.171–0.924, P=0.032) were independent influencing factors for skip lateral lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: The primary tumor size≤10 mm and the primary tumor involving the superior pole of the thyroid gland are independent influencing factors for skip lateral lymph node metastasis in PTC.