Normal inflammatory markers and acute appendicitis: a national multicentre prospective cohort analysis

On behalf of the Snapshot Appendicitis Collaborative Study group

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4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

PURPOSE: For the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, the combination of clinical and laboratory variables achieves high diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, appendicitis can present with normal laboratory tests of inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of normal inflammatory markers in patients operated for acute appendicitis.

METHODS: This is an analysis of data from a prospective, multicentre SNAPSHOT cohort study of patients with suspected acute appendicitis. Only patients with histopathologically proven acute appendicitis were included. Adult patients with acute appendicitis and normal preoperative inflammatory markers were explored further in terms of abdominal complaints, preoperative imaging results and intraoperative assessment of the degree of inflammation and compared to those with elevated inflammatory markers.

RESULTS: Between June and July 2014, 1303 adult patients with histopathologically proven acute appendicitis were included. In only 23 of 1303 patients (1.8%) with proven appendicitis, both preoperative white blood cell count and C-reactive protein levels were normal. Migration of pain was reported less frequently in patients with normal inflammatory markers compared to those with elevated inflammatory marker levels (17.4% versus 43.0%, p = 0.01). Characteristics like fever, duration of symptoms and localized peritonitis were comparable. Only 4 patients with normal inflammatory markers (0.3% overall) had complicated appendicitis at histopathological evaluation.

CONCLUSION: Combined normal WBC and CRP levels are seen in about 2 per 100 patients with confirmed acute appendicitis and can, although rarely, be found in patients with complicated appendicitis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1507-1513
Number of pages7
JournalInternational journal of colorectal disease
Volume36
Issue number7
Early online date2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Appendicitis
  • C-reactive protein
  • Complicated appendicitis
  • Inflammatory markers

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