Diagnosis Of Appendicitis Research Articles

A Comparison of the Alvarado Score and the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis (RIPASA) Score in the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background Diagnosing acute appendicitis remains a problem, especially in teenagers with right lower quadrant pain.Imaging studies aid in accurate diagnosis but have limitations such as cost and availability. The Modified Alvarado Scoring System (MASS) is simple and cost-effective with fewer parameters. The Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitisscoring system (RIPASA), designed for Asian populations, includes more parameters. This study compares the effectiveness of RIPASA and Alvarado scores in diagnosing acute appendicitis in a specific clinical setting. Objectives To compare the scoring systems of RIPASA and Alvarado in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis at a tertiary care hospital. Methods Data has been collected from all patients who attended the NRI general hospital emergency department and outpatient wing with acute appendicitis, admitted as inpatients based on clinical history and relevant investigations. Patients satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected and the basic investigations were done. Summary statistics were done using mean, standard deviation and proportions. Inferential statistics were done by using an independent t-test, kappa statistic, sensitivity and specificity with a 95% confidence interval (CI). All the measurements are done using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and open epidemiological (OpenEpi) software 3.01. A probability (p) <0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Results A total of 110 patients were analyzed for this study with a majority (39%) of them in the 21-30 age group. In our study, females (53%) outnumbered males (47%). Ultrasound findings in our cohort were acute appendicitis (93%), chronic appendicitis (2%) and normal appendix (5%). However, histopathology reported acute appendicitis (75%), chronic appendicitis (9%) and negative/non-specific (15%). The probability of appendicitis as predicted by Alvarado and RIPASA were 40% and 51% respectively. Definitive diagnosis of appendicitis was made in 16.4% with RIPASA whereas only 5.5% with Alvarado. When comparing the Alvarado and RIPASA scores, the sensitivity or true positive rate was higher for RIPASA (73.63%) than for Alvarado (50.55%). Conclusion There was a significant difference between the mean scores in Alvarado and RIPASA inpatients with scores suggestive of appendicitis and no appendicitis. Diagnostic accuracy was higher in RIPASA scoring compared to ALVARDO scoring. There was a significant statistical difference between the two scoring systems. When it comes to diagnosing in low-resource countries the study recommends a combination of Alvarado and RIPASA scoring systems.

Failure to Significantly Reduce Radiation Exposure in Children with Suspected Appendicitis in the United States

BackgroundUltrasound (US) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended over computed tomography (CT) as the initial imaging modality when considering a diagnosis of appendicitis in children. This reduces unnecessary radiation exposure and has excellent accuracy. We hypothesized a significant increase in US utilization and a reduction in CT utilization in hospitals across the United States. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed NSQIP-P data from 2015 to 2021 for patients <18 years undergoing appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Rates of US, CT, and MRI usage were compared between NSQIP-P hospitals and referring non-NSQIP-P hospitals. ResultsOf the 115,186 children included, 66,303 (57.6%) were imaged in NSQIP-P hospitals, 37,962 (33.0%) in non-NSQIP-P hospitals, and 7947 (6.9%) in both. US alone was used in 53.3%, followed by CT alone in 25.1%, both US + CT in 16.4%, and MRI ± CT/US in 2.6%. Non-NSIQP-P hospitals used less US than NSQIP-P centers (38.6% vs 90.8%, P < 0.0001) and more CT (74.0% vs 25.4%, P < 0.0001). From 2015 to 2021, overall US utilization increased from 68.5% to 72.3% (p < 0.0001) while CT utilization remained unchanged (43.1%–43.2%, P = 0.07). US use increased in non-NSQIP-P centers (18.8%–25.7%, P < 0.0001) but not in NSQIP-P (71.7% vs 70.9%, p = 0.28), while CT alone decreased in both (NSQIP-P: 10.1%–7.7%, P < 0.0001; non-NSQIP-P: 71.0%–59.8%, P < 0.0001). ConclusionUS and MRI remain underutilized in diagnosing pediatric appendicitis, especially in non-NSQIP-P hospitals. Trends show modest increase in US utilization; however, CT alone remains a highly used modality in non-NSQIP-P hospitals. Adopting diagnostic strategies from NSQIP-P centers could optimize diagnostic imaging in children. Level of EvidenceIII.

A Novel Deep Learning Approach for the Automatic Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis.

Background: Acute appendicitis (AA) is a major cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgical intervention. Approximately 20% of AA cases are diagnosed neither early nor accurately, leading to an increased risk of appendiceal perforation and postoperative sequelae. AA can be identified with good accuracy using computed tomography (CT). However, some studies have found that a false-negative AA diagnosis made using CT can cause surgical therapy to be delayed. Deep learning experiments are aimed at minimizing false-negative diagnoses. However, the success rates reported in these studies are far from 100%. In addition, the methods used to divide patients into groups do not adequately reflect situations in which accurate radiological diagnosis is difficult. Therefore, in this study, we propose a novel deep-learning approach for the automatic diagnosis of AA using CT based on establishing a new strategy for classification according to the difficulties encountered in radiological diagnosis. Methods: A total of 266 patients with a pathological diagnosis of AA who underwent appendectomy were divided into two groups based on CT images and radiology reports. A deep learning analysis was performed on the CT images and clinical and laboratory parameters that contributed to the diagnosis of both the patient and age- and sex-adjusted control groups. Results: The deep learning diagnosis success rate was 96% for the group with advanced radiological findings and 83.3% for the group with radiologically suspicious findings that could be considered normal. Conclusions: Using deep learning, successful results can be achieved in cases in which the appendix diameter has not increased significantly and there is no significant edema effect.

Accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis in the emergency department: an artificial intelligence-based approach.

The diagnosis of abdominal pain in emergency departments is challenging, and appendicitis is a common concern. Atypical symptoms often delay diagnosis. Although the Alvarado score aids in decision-making, its low specificity can lead to unnecessary surgeries. By leveraging machine learning, we aim to enhance diagnostic accuracy by predicting appendicitis and distinguishing it from other causes of abdominal pain in the emergency department. Data were collected from 534 patients who presented with acute abdominal pain. Patient characteristics, laboratory results, and causes of pain were recorded. Machine learning algorithms (support vector classifier, random forest classifier, gradient boosting classifier, and Gaussian naive Bayes) were used to predict the cause of pain. Model calibration was assessed using the Brier score. The mean age was 46.89 (20.3) years, with an almost equal sex distribution (49% male, 51% female). Cholecystitis was the most prevalent outcome (37.07%), followed by appendicitis (25.84%). The Gaussian naive Bayes model exhibited superior performance in terms of accuracy (95.03% 95% CI 90.44-97.83%), sensitivity (87.18% 95% CI 72.57-95.70%), and specificity (97.54% 95% CI 92.98-99.49%), while the random forest model showed a sensitivity of 79.49%, specificity of 96.72%, and accuracy of 92.55%. The gradient boosting algorithm achieved a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 89.74%, 95.90%, and 94.41%, respectively. The support vector classifier demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.74%, specificity of 92.62%, and accuracy of 91.93%. The use of modern machine learning methods aids in the accurate diagnosis of appendicitis.

Outcomes Following Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatment for Uncomplicated Appendicitis in Older Adults

The optimal treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis in older adults with frailty is not defined. To examine outcomes associated with treatment strategies for acute uncomplicated appendicitis in older adults with or without frailty. This retrospective cohort study used National Inpatient Sample data from adults 65 years or older with a diagnosis of uncomplicated appendicitis from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018. Data were analyzed from July to November 2023. The National Inpatient Sample database approximates a 20% stratified sample of all inpatient hospital discharges in the US. Study patients were categorized into 3 groups: nonoperative management, immediate operation, and delayed operation. Clinical outcomes, including hospital complications and in-hospital mortality, were assessed among older adults with and without frailty, identified using an adapted claims-based frailty index. A total of 24 320 patients were identified (median [IQR] age, 72 [68-79] years; 50.9% female). Of those, 7290 (30.0%) were categorized as having frailty. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 1.4%, and the incidence of complications was 37.3%. In patients with frailty, multivariable analysis showed both nonoperative management (odds ratio [OR], 2.89; 95% CI, 1.40-5.98; P < .001) and delayed appendectomy (OR, 3.80; 95% CI, 1.72-8.43; P < .001) were associated with increased in-hospital mortality compared with immediate appendectomy. In patients without frailty, immediate appendectomy was associated with increased hospital complications compared with nonoperative management (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.94; P = .009) and lower hospital complications compared with delayed appendectomy (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.41-3.00; P < .001). In this cohort study of older adults with uncomplicated appendicitis, outcomes differed among management strategies based on frailty status. Routine frailty assessments incorporated in the care of older adult patients may help guide discussions for shared decision-making.

A Case of Acute Appendicitis Complicated by Necrotizing Fasciitis Requiring Abdominal Wall Reconstruction

Acute appendicitis represents one of the most common causes of acute abdomen that may warrant emergency surgery. Necrotizing fasciitis complicated by acute appendicitis is considered a rare complication with life-threatening implications. A 65-year-old man presented with abdominal pain, where a scan, revealed a perforated appendicitis complicated by an anterior abdominal wall collection. He underwent percutaneous drainage, but subsequently developed extensive necrotizing fasciitis requiring extensive debridement and reconstruction. The rapid progression of necrotizing fasciitis calls for early recognition and prompt intervention. The key management principles employed were broad spectrum antibiotics and aggressive surgical debridement. This case demonstrated the use of vacuum-assisted closure dressing and multidisciplinary care in wound healing and coverage. To ensure early diagnosis and intervention for acute appendicitis complicated by necrotizing fasciitis, a high degree of clinical suspicion and awareness of this complication is required.

The Association of Isolated Cecal Necrosis Symptoms with Acute Appendicitis: A Case Report

We report a case of isolated cecal necrosis (ICN) associated with acute appendicitis in a geriatric patient in order to underline the didactic, diagnostic and therapeutic interest. This was a 70-year-old widowed female farmer living in a rural area who presented with localized abdominal pain in the right iliac fossa. The diagnosis of acute appendicitis was made. A Mac Burney incision approach revealed ICN and an inflamed appendix. The patient had an ileostomy and a partial cecal necrosectomy with an epiploic patch. A digestive fistula occurred on postoperative Day 60. The patient was transferred to a more technical center where she had a right hemicolectomy with latero-lateral ileocolic anastomosis. The prognosis was poor. The patient died 4 days later in respiratory distress.

Pediatric Modification For Alvarado Score: Appearance Of Patients With Apandisitis

ABSTRACT Objective: This study, with the purpose of decreasing the morbidity rate in emergency pediatric surgery clinics, evaluates the reliability of an acute appendicitis diagnosis score we define as “appearance of the patient with appendicitis (APA)”, which is a new modification of Alvarado Score (AS). Methods: One hundred eighty patients, that admitted to Van Training and Research Hospital between February 2018 and June 2018 and were consulted to pediatric surgery with acute appendicitis suspicion; were analyzed as a randomized prospective study. In the new scoring system which we define as APA, instead of a left shift of neutrophils – a state of the patients lying still in the bed, reluctant to speak, with dry lips, with tired eyes, upset and with a troubled expression at the face is placed. For all the patients, AS (AS 1-4, AS 5-6 and AS 7-10) and APA (APA 1-4, APA 5-6 and APA 7-10) scores were independently calculated as three groups and were compared to each other. Results: 180 children (108 males – 72 female) with an average age of 11 (range, 6 – 15) were included in the study. Distribution of patients in the three groups of AS was determined as 1-4: 90 (50%), AS 5-7: 48 (26.7%) and AS 8-10: 42 (23.3%) respectively. Distribution of patients with respect to APA score were as APA 1-4: 72 (40%), APA 5-7: 69 (38.3%) and APA 8-10: 39 (21.7%). Appendectomy was performed on 3 patients from the AS 1-4 group, on 15 patients from AS 5-6 group and on 33 patients from AS 7-10 group. Whereas none of the patients from the APA 1-4 group had an appendectomy, 18 patients from APA 5-6 group and 33 patients from APA 7-10 group had an appendectomy. Conclusion: By means of the APA which we define as a combination of AS and clinical judgment (CJ), the number of pediatric cases with appendicitis suspicion to be kept under observation was increased and unnecessary –too early or too late- surgical intervention incidence was decreased. Our study shows CJ and scoring systems are not alternative methods for each other and collective use of both can decrease morbidity and mortality in acute appendicitis treatment.

Validation of the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis (RIPASA) scoring system for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis among Ethiopian patients: a multi-institutional observational study

BackgroundAcute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency in Ethiopian clinical practice. Although a multitude of scoring systems have been used in clinical practice, none have been universally validated. The purpose of this study was to validate the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis (RIPASA) scoring system in the Ethiopian context.MethodsA total of 315 consecutive patients who presented with a presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis and were planned to undergo appendectomy were studied. All the studied patients had diagnostic sonography and underwent the RIPASA scoring system. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of RIPASA and ultrasound results with intraoperative gross examinations.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 27.4 ± 11.5 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.6:1. The concordance between ultrasound and RIPASA for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis was 93.6%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of RIPASA were 96.2%, 30.8%, 93.9%, and 42.1%, respectively. Similarly, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ultrasound were 95.3%, 27.8%, 95.6%, and 26.3%, respectively. White cell count and RIPASA scores were weakly correlated with intraoperative stages of acute appendicitis, r(313) = 0.18, p = 0.001, and r(313) = 0.129, p = 0.022, respectively. The rate of a negative appendectomy was 6%.ConclusionRIPASA and ultrasound had equivalent performance in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. In both cases, the rate of negative appendectomy was low enough to validate RIPASA for clinical practice in low-income institutions where sonographic diagnosis by a conventionally trained radiologist is not available.

Ultrasound and clinical features for differential diagnosis of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and acute suppurative appendicitis.

To investigate the application of ultrasound along with clinical features for the differential diagnosis of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) and acute suppurative appendicitis (ASA). The ultrasound and clinical data of 76 patients with histopathologically confirmed LAMN (31 patients) and ASA (45 patients) were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis of the influencing factors were conducted to identify LAMN and ASA. The AUROC was calculated to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of these independent factors. A four-grid table was established to determine the diagnostic efficacy of the ultrasound marks for diagnosing LAMN. Patient age and appendix short diameter in the LAMN group were found to be significantly higher than those in the ASA group. The neutrophil ratio and thickness of the appendix wall in the LAMN group were significantly lower than they were in the ASA group. Patient age (OR=1.112, p=0.015) and appendix short diameter (OR=1.476, p=0.008) were independent risk factors for LAMN. The AUROCs for age and short diameter were 0.898 [95% CI: 0.807, 0.956] and 0.953 [95% CI: 0.879, 0.988], respectively. The LAMN group tumors were characterized by the appearance of an "onion skin" sign or a purely cystic mark on sonograms, with specificities of 100% for both. Neutrophil ratio (OR<0.001, p=0.064) and thickness of the appendix wall (OR=0.776, p=0.414) were not independent risk factors for ASA. Employing ultrasonography with clinical features is useful for distinguishing LAMN from ASA. Patient age, short diameter of the appendix, and sonographic appearance of "onion skin" or purely cystic mark could be key factors in diagnosing LAMN.

Uncomplicated appendicitis at Herat Regional Hospital: limited resource is not always the end of the world.

Acute appendicitis is the most common aetiology of acute abdomen in children. Our aim is to describe the accuracy of diagnosis, and complications in a limited resources setting in children between 5 and 14 years old at the only tertiary referral hospital in the West region of Afghanistan. A retrospective study for a period of 1 year (21 March 2015-20 March 2016). Data was collected from patients' files. Data were analysed by epi info 7. We identified 774 children who had appendectomies at Herat Regional Hospital during the study period with complete records available for analysis. The median age was 11 years [5-14]. The rate of positive appendectomy was 87%. 72% of appendectomies were done within 24 h of the onset of symptoms. Of 675 positive appendectomies, the most common clinical features were migratory abdominal pain (90%), nausea/vomiting (80%), RLQ tenderness (90%), and rebound tenderness (81%). Among the 99 negative appendectomies, the most common signs and symptoms were anorexia 68%, nausea/vomiting 59%, RLQ tenderness 79%, and rebound tenderness 43%. 98% of positive and 71% of negative appendectomies had elevated WBC count. Post appendectomy complications occurred in 9% of our patients mostly commonly intra-abdominal abscesses (5%). Although the diagnosis of acute appendicitis is challenging in children and may involve sophisticated imaging techniques, in many settings these are unavailable. Classical manifestations such as migratory abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, nausea, and simple lab tests play a crucial role in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in low resource environments.

Acute Appendicitis After COVID-19 Vaccines in Italy: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study.

Cases of appendicitis were identified in the pivotal randomized clinical trial on BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine and reported from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine pharmacovigilance systems. Three cohort studies and two self-controlled case series (SCCS) studies evaluating the association between mRNA vaccines and appendicitis reported discordant results. To address this uncertainty, the present study examines in a large population, with a SCCS design, the association between mRNA (BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273) and, for the first time, viral vector (ChAdOx1-S and Ad26.COV2-S) COVID-19 vaccines and acute appendicitis. The SCCS study design was used to evaluate the association between COVID-19 vaccination and subsequent onset of acute appendicitis. The study was based on record linkage of health archives through TheShinISS application, a statistical tool that locally processes data from regional health care databases according to ad hoc, study-tailored and common data model. The study population included all vaccinated subjects ≥ 12 years old between 27 December 2020 and 30 September 2021. The acute appendicitis was identified through discharge diagnoses of hospital admissions or emergency department visits. Incident cases were defined as those who experienced a first event of acute appendicitis in the study period, excluding subjects with a diagnosis of appendicitis in the previous 5 years. Exposure was defined as the first or second dose of BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 and ChAdOx1-S and the single dose of Ad26.COV2-S. The risk interval was defined as 42 days from the first or second vaccination dose and divided into pre-specified risk subperiods; the reference period was the observation time outside the risk interval. Relative incidences (RI) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated with the SCCS method 'modified for event-dependent exposures', through unbiased estimating equations. The seasonal component was considered as a time-dependent covariate. In the 42-day risk interval 1285 incident cases of acute appendicitis occurred: 727 cases after the first dose and 558 cases after the second dose. In the main analysis, no increased risks of acute appendicitis were observed in subjects vaccinated with BNT162b, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1-S and Ad26.COV2-S. The subgroup analyses by sex showed an increased risk in the 14-27 day risk interval, in males after the first dose of mRNA-1273 (RI of 1.71; 95% CI 1.08-2.70, p = 0.02) and in females after the single dose of Ad26.COV2-S (RI of 4.40; 95% CI 1.29-15.01, p = 0.02). There was no evidence of association of BNT162b, ChAdOx1-S, mRNA-1273 and Ad26.COV2-S with acute appendicitis in the general population. The results of the subgroup analyses by sex needs to be considered with caution. The multiplicity issue cannot be excluded being these hypotheses two of several hypotheses tested. In addition, relevant literature on the biological mechanism of the disease and evidence of similar effects with other vaccines or with the same vaccines are still lacking to provide strong support for a conclusion that there is an harmful effect in males and females with mRNA-1273 and Ad26.COV2-S.

Diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis in patients with the new coronavirus infection COVID-19

Diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis in patients with the new coronavirus infection COVID-19

Computed Tomography Scan Correlation of Position of Appendix with Present Literature

Abstract Background The appendix exhibits varied anatomical orientations, which significantly influence the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis. Existing literature predominantly relies on cadaveric studies to delineate common appendix positions, lacking comprehensive computed tomography (CT)-based investigations on a large scale. Thus, our study endeavors to delineate the prevailing position of the appendix on CT scans and ascertain its concordance with existing literature, thereby augmenting our understanding of this anatomical entity. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital setting. Materials and Methods A total of 1,068 patients aged 18 years and older, undergoing abdominal CT scans at the hospital between July 2020 and July 2021, were enrolled in the study, with exclusion criteria applied to conditions that could distort anatomical features. The position of the appendix was meticulously documented for each patient, alongside measurements including diameter, wall thickness, and origin. Data collection utilized a predefined Microsoft Excel sheet. Subsequently, numerical and relative frequencies were computed for appendiceal positions and origins. Additionally, diameter and wall thickness were assessed, and pertinent parameters were derived. Results The relative frequencies of various potential appendiceal positions observed in our study were as follows: subcecal: 6.6%; paracecal: 1.2%; pelvic: 21.9%; postileal: 32.9%; preileal: 6.7%; retrocecal: 28.5%; subhepatic: 2.2%. Conclusion In contrast to traditional assumptions, our findings reveal that the most prevalent positions of the appendix are postileal, retrocecal, and pelvic, challenging historical beliefs.

Identification of children with a nondiagnostic ultrasound at a low appendicitis risk using a pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator.

Up to 50% of ultrasounds (USs) for suspected pediatric appendicitis are nondiagnostic. While the validated low-risk clinical pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator (pARC) score < 15% and the low-risk US with nonvisualized appendix and no periappendiceal inflammation carry relatively low appendicitis risks, the contribution of the combination of both characteristics to this risk has never been assessed. The primary objective was to determine the proportion of children with the low-risk US-low-risk pARC combination with appendicitis. We hypothesized that this proportion would be 2.5% (upper 95% CI ≤ 5%). A retrospective cohort study of 448 previously healthy children 4-17 years old at a pediatric ED with suspected appendicitis, nondiagnostic US, and persistent clinical concern about appendicitis. Two investigators abstracted demographic, clinical, and imaging data. Based on published criteria, USs were classified as low-risk or high-risk. The pARC includes seven demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables and is quantified according to the published formula. The primary outcome was appendicitis, based on the histological evidence. All nonoperated patients underwent a 1-month-follow-up to exclude delayed appendicitis diagnoses. Sixty of the 448 (13.4%) patients had appendicitis; 269 (60%) had low-risk US, 262 (58.4%) had low-risk pARC, and 163 (36.4%) had both characteristics. The appendicitis rates with low-risk pARC alone and low-risk US alone were 14/262 (5.4%) and 21/269 (7.8%), respectively. A total of 2/163 children (1.2%) with low-risk pARC and low-risk US had appendicitis (95% CI 0%-4.4%). Higher-risk US increased the appendicitis odds 5 (95% CI 1.54-20.55) to 11 times (95% CI 2.41-51.10) across pARC levels. The low-risk combination had sensitivity of 96.7% (95% CI 88.5%-99.6%), specificity of 41.5%, positive predictive value of 20.4%, and negative predictive value of 98.8% (95% CI 95.6%-99.9%). The children with low-risk pARC and low-risk US combination are unlikely to have appendicitis and can be discharged home. The presence of higher-risk US-pARC score combinations substantially increases the appendicitis risk and warrants reassessment or interval imaging.

Diagnostic value of systemic immune inflammation index in acute appendicitis and complicated appendicitis in pregnant patients.

Acute pain in the right lower quadrant during pregnancy is difficult to approach and acute appendicitis must be excluded. The complication rate in pregnant acute appendicitis increases as a result of delayed diagnosis due to physiological and anatomic changes. The systemic immune inflammatory index (SII), which includes several inflammatory tests, is considered to be a good indicator of acute inflammation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic value of SII in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and complicated appendicitis in pregnant women. This was designed as a retrospective, single-center case-control study. This study was performed in pregnant women over 12 weeks of gestation who were diagnosed with acute appendicitis as indicated by pathology report and met the inclusion criteria. Vital parameters, demographic characteristics, laboratory values, presence of complicated appendicitis, and pathology reports were taken into analysis. The present study was performed with 76 pregnant women, including 38 pregnant women with acute appendicitis and 38 pregnant women with healthy controls. SII had a sensitivity of 82.0% and specificity of 66.7% with a cut-off value of 840.13 in pregnant acute appendicitis cases (AUC: 0.790; 95% CI: 0.686-0.984; p < 0.001) and SII level was significantly higher in complicated appendicitis cases with a sensitivity and specificity of 66.7% and 91.3%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 2301.66 (AUC: 0.812; 95% CI: 0.665-0.958; p = 0.001). SII is a cost-effective, rapid, easily calculated, and powerful marker that can be used for the diagnosis of both acute and complicated appendicitis in pregnant patients.

Study of pediatric appendicitis scores and management strategies: A prospective observational feasibility study.

The objective was to investigate the feasibility of prospectively validating multiple clinical prediction scores (CPSs) for pediatric appendicitis in an Australian pediatric emergency department (ED). A literature search was conducted to identify potential CPSs and a single-center prospective observational feasibility study was performed between November 2022 and May 2023 to evaluate the performance of identified CPSs. Children 5-15 years presenting with acute right-sided or generalized abdominal pain and clinician suspicion of appendicitis were included. CPSs were calculated by the study team from prospectively clinician-collected data and/or review of medical records. Accuracy of CPSs were assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and proportions correctly identifiable as either low-risk or high-risk with the best performing CPS compared to clinician gestalt. Final diagnosis of appendicitis was confirmed on histopathology or by telephone/email follow-up for those discharged directly from ED. Thirty CPSs were identified in the literature search and 481 patients were enrolled in the study. A total of 150 (31.2%) patients underwent appendectomy with three (2.0%) having a normal appendix on histopathology. All identified CPSs were calculable for at least 50% of the patient cohort. The pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator for pediatric EDs (pARC-ED; n = 317) was the best performing CPS with AUC 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86-0.94) and specificity 99.0% (95% CI 96.4%-99.7%) in diagnosing high-risk cases and a misclassification rate of 4.5% for low-risk cases. The study identified 30 CPSs that could be validated in a majority of patients to compare their ability to assess risk of pediatric appendicitis. The pARC-ED had the highest predictive accuracy and can potentially assist in risk stratification of children with suspected appendicitis in pediatric EDs. A multicenter study is now under way to evaluate the potential of these CPSs in a broader range of EDs to aid clinical decision making in more varied settings.

Construction of a clinical prediction model for complicated appendicitis based on machine learning techniques

Acute appendicitis is a typical surgical emergency worldwide and one of the common causes of surgical acute abdomen in the elderly. Accurately diagnosing and differentiating acute appendicitis can assist clinicians in formulating a scientific and reasonable treatment plan and providing high-quality medical services for the elderly. In this study, we validated and analyzed the different performances of various machine learning models based on the analysis of clinical data, so as to construct a simple, fast, and accurate estimation method for the diagnosis of early acute appendicitis. The dataset of this paper was obtained from the medical data of elderly patients with acute appendicitis attending the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2012 to January 2022, including 196 males (60.87%) and 126 females (39.13%), including 103 (31.99%) patients with complicated appendicitis and 219 (68.01%) patients with uncomplicated appendicitis. By comparing and analyzing the prediction results of the models implemented by nine different machine learning techniques (LR, CART, RF, SVM, Bayes, KNN, NN, FDA, and GBM), we found that the GBM algorithm gave the optimal results and that sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, precision, recall, F1 and brier are 0.9167, 0.9739, 0.9429, 0.9613, 0.9429, 0.9167, 0.9296, and 0.05649, respectively. The GBM model prediction results are interpreted using the SHAP technology framework. Calibration and Decision curve analysis also show that the machine learning model proposed in this paper has some clinical and economic benefits. Finally, we developed the Shiny application for complicated appendicitis diagnosis to assist clinicians in quickly and effectively recognizing patients with complicated appendicitis (CA) and uncomplicated appendicitis (UA), and to formulate a more reasonable and scientific clinical plan for acute appendicitis patient population promptly.

Neutrophil- to- Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor of acute Appendicitis and Its Severity

Background: The Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) is an emerging biomarker for the diagnosis and severity assessment of acute appendicitis. This study evaluates the predictive value of NLR in patients undergoing appendicectomy.

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in children and adolescents.

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare in children and adolescents. Standard management of these tumors has not been well established due to their rarity in this age group. We aimed to report the clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with this rare disease followed and treated between the years 1993-2022. The medical records of patients with GEP-NETs were reviewed. Fourteen patients (11 girls, 3 boys) were diagnosed with GEP-NET. The median age was 13 (9-18) years. Tumor localization was the appendix in 12, stomach in one and pancreas in one patient. Mesoappendix invasion was detected in four patients two of whom underwent right hemicolectomy (RHC) and lymph node dissection (LND). Of those, one patient had lymph node involvement. The other two had not further operations. Somatostatin was used in one with pancreatic metastatic disease and the other with gastric disease after surgery. No additional treatment was given in other patients. All patients are under follow-up without evidence of disease at a median follow-up of 85 months (7-226 months). GEP-NETs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis and in cases with persistent abdominal pain. In children, there is invariably a favorable prognosis, and additional surgical interventions other than simple appendectomies generally do not provide benefits. Mesoappendix invasion may not necessitate RHC and LND.