The correlation between laboratory markers and computed tomography severity index in acute appendicitis

Abstract

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate and to investigate the association of some laboratory markers with the stage of the acute appendicitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The hematological parameters (white blood cell count, red cell distribution width, platellet distribution width, mean corpuscular volume, and mean platelet volume values) and tomography scans of 200 patients who admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain were retrospectively reviewed. Computed tomography grading about the severity of the cases was carried out by two radiologists, as grade 0 for normal appendix to grade 3 for perforated appencities. The hematological results of the patients were recorded for each severity group and were com- pared to detect whether there was a change in the hematological parameters as the severity in CT increases.

RESULTS: There was no difference in white blood cell count and red cell distribution width levels but mean platelet volume seemed to decrease as the tomography severity index increased.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that the most reliable instrument to detect appendicitis in the emergency environment is the computed tomography.