title: Role of total leukocyte count in diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency. Diagnosis may be difficult with little help from radiological and laboratory investigations. Total leukocyte count is one of the helpful investigations, being evaluated in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients presenting with right lower quadrant abdominal pain whom were diagnosed as having acute appendicitis and later underwent appendicectomy were included in the study. The preoperative leukocyte count was compared with histo-pathology findings of removed appendix. Sensitivity and specificity of TLC was calculated by standard formulas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of TLC as calculated in this study is 76.5% and 73.7% respectively while positive predictive value is 92.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLC although not a diagnostic criteria for acute appendicitis but still is helpful investigation in decision making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan. dhkamran@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Haider
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamran
authors.forename: Danish
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Naveed
authors.forename: Aamir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazir
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hameed
authors.forename: Mukhtar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Ulas
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity