Investigation of Laboratory Parameters That Differentiate Complicated Appendicitis from Simple Appendicitis in Adults

Abstract

Introduction:Acute appendicitis is one of the most common abdominal emergencies. In this study, we aimed to investigate preoperative laboratory parameters in patients with simple and complicated appendicitis.Methods:The medical records of patients over 40 years of age with histopathologically diagnosed acute appendicitis between January and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups as simple and complicated. The relationship between appendicitis subgroups and laboratory parameters including white blood cell count, neutrophil count and percentage, lymphocyte count and percentage, basophil count and percentage, platelet count, mean platelet volume, plateletcrit, platelet distribution width was investigated. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were also analyzed in these groups.Results:A total of 156 patients were included in the study. Twenty-three patients (14.7%) had simple appendicitis and the mean age of all patients was 50.5±8.5 years. Male and elderly patients had more complicated appendicitis. In univariate analysis, percentage of neutrophils, lymphocyte count and percentage, lymphocyte count and percentage, basophil percentage, plateletcrit, NLR and PLR values were significantly different between the groups. However, in the multivariate logistic regression analysis comparing simple and complicated appendicitis data, only NLR value was found to be significant.Conclusion:Neutrophil percentage, lymphocyte count and percentage, basophil percentage, plateletcrit and NLR were associated with complicated appendicitis in patients over 40 years of age, but only NLR was significant in multivariate analysis. However, these parameters can be used to distinguish complicated appendicitis at presentation.

Keywords

• Acute appendicitis
• adult
• complicated appendicitis
• laboratory