Three systematic reviews (9, 11, 12) of papillary thyroid carcinoma showed gender, age, tumor size, multifocality, capsular invasion, lymphovascular invasion, tumor location, lymphocytic thyroiditis, bilateral tumor, extrathyroidal extension, lateral cervical lymph node metastasis, histological subtype of the tumor and BRAF gene mutations may be risk factors for central compartment lymph node metastasis. This evidence concerns the gene BRAF and differentiated thyroid carcinoma.