Mean platelets volume as a diagnostic biomarker of acute appendicitis at Omdurman military hospital - A cross-sectional study - 2021

Abstract Background Acute appendicitis (AA) is one of the most common non-traumatic indications for emergent abdominal surgical procedures. However, making an accurate diagnosis for all cases may be challenging, and physical examination, biochemical markers, and imaging techniques can be insufficient for diagnosis. Mean platelets volume (MPV) has been investigated in multiple studies as a diagnostic value for AA. This study aims to study the MPV as a diagnostic biomarker in diagnosing AA in Omdurman Military Hospital. Materials and methods Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Omdurman Military Hospital from December 2020 - December 2021. The study population was patients who presented to our emergency department with symptoms and signs suggestive of AA. Included were patients operated on as cases of AA. Data variables covered socio-demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, intraoperative appendix macroscopic findings, pre-operative MPV and TWBCs and post-operative histopathological findings. Results 110 patients were included in this study, with 75 (68.2%) males; half were 10–19 years old. Sixty-three patients (57.3%) had low (< 7.5) MPV, whereas 47 (42.7%) had normal parameters. Comparing MPV to total white blood cells (TWBC) revealed that the MPV was more sensitive (84.6%) and specific (90%) than TWBCs during the first 24 hours of inflammation. However, the TWBCs were more sensitive (97.2%) but less specific (94.7% vs 100%) after 24 hours of onset. Conclusion In this study, MPV was lower in patients with AA, while there was an increase in TWBC counts. The high sensitivity and specificity of WBCs and MPV indicated that they form a promising diagnostic marker for AA.