Role of platelet parameters as a biomarker in diagnosis of acute appendicitis: A retrospective case–controlled study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of platelet parameters in acute appendicitis. Methods: This retrospective case-controlled study was performed among 200 healthy people and 200 patients with a primary diagnosis of acute appendicitis between October 2017 and June 2018. The patients were classified into three groups: the acute complicated appendicitis (suppurative and gangrenous) group, acute non-complicated appendicitis group and the control group. Red blood cell, white blood cell, lymphocyte, monocyte and platelets count, red blood cell distribution width, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and C-reactive protein were compared between the groups. Results: Thirty-nine (19.5%) patients with acute appendicitis had no complication and 161 (80.5%) developed a complication. The white blood cell count, neutrophil count and C-reactive protein serum levels were significantly higher, whereas the mean age, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, red blood cell distribution width and platelet count were significantly lower in acute appendicitis patients with and without complications compared with the control group. Moreover, combined analysis of best diagnostic parameters (white blood cell, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts) showed that combined parallel sensitivity and specificity were 98.7% and 42.7%, respectively. Conclusions: White blood cell, lymphocyte counts and neutrophil count could be used for diagnosis of acute appendicitis. More over the utility of mean platelet volume for differential diagnosis might be overestimated.