Red Blood Cell Distribution Width: Diagnostic Value in Pediatric Acute Appendicitis

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: Acute appendicitis (AA) is one of the most common causes of urgent surgery in children and is still associated with diagnostic difficulties. As the red blood width (RDW) and mean platelet volume (MVP) may be related to inflammatory processes, this study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of RDW in AA in pediatric population. Methods: A retrospective and observational study was conducted. Data was collected from medical records of all patients with clinical suspicion of AA who underwent appendectomy at a secundary hospital during a period of 36 months. Preoperative analytical values were analyzed and compared with a control group. Results: Medical records of 305 patients with a mean age of 12.1 years were analyzed. Children with simple or perforated appendicitis had significantly higher RDW than those with a normal appendix. Compared with the controls mean RDW was significantly higher in the acute appendicitis group (14.16 ± 1.2% vs.13.09 ± 0.9%, p <0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in the analytical parameter VPM in the diagnosis of AA. Conclusion: In this study, children with an histologically diagnosed acute appendicitis have higher RDW than children without appendicitis. Being a parameter included in the blood count and without additional costs, it may represent a valuable aid in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children. Further research is needed due to the limited number of studies on this topic in childhood.