Diagnosis of Appendicitis in Patients with a Normal White Blood Cell Count; A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To investigate the clinical, imaging and laboratory findings for diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) in patients with a normal white blood cell count (WBCC).Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, during a 1-year period. To determine diagnostic factors in AA in patients with normal WBCC, medical records of eligible patients were reviewed for demographic and clinical variables, as well as patient outcome.Results: A total of 105 patients that had undergone appendectomy and were found to have a normal WBCC were included in the study. Of these patients, 53 (50.5%) were men and 52 (49.5%) were women. The mean age of the patients was 34.2±12.3 (min 14, max 78). The negative exploration rate was identified as 19%. In the multivariate analysis, only the diameter of appendix was statistically significant (p=0.002). ROC analysis revealed the cut off appendiceal diameter as 8 mm. Conclusion: In patients suspected of AA due to ≥8 mm appendiceal diameter determined by imaging, we recommend surgical treatment even if WBCC and neutrophil count are normal.