title: Can D-dimer become a new diagnostic parameter for acute appendicitis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we investigated D-dimer serum level as a diagnostic parameter for acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were classified according to age; sex; duration between the beginning of pain and referral to a hospital or clinic; Alvarado scores; and in physical examination, presence of muscular defense, the number of leukocytes, preoperative ultrasonography, and D-dimer levels of histopathologic study groups were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients enrolled in the study, 26.5% were females and 73.5% males. The average age was 21 years (range, 16-38 years) and 81.7% acute appendicitis (AA). According the duration of pain, 63.2% of the patients were referred to the hospital within the first 24 hours, 26.5% of the patients were referred to the hospital within 24 to 48 hours, and 10.3% were referred to the hospital within a period of more than 48 hours. No statistically significant difference was determined regarding D-dimer levels between the histopathologic study groups (P > .05). Alvarado scores lower than 7 were found in 36.7% and 7 or higher in 63.3% of the patients. There was no statistically significant difference related with D-dimer levels between histopathologic study groups (P > .05). The ratio of cases with a number of leukocytes below the upper limit were determined respectively as 32.7% and 67.3%, and no statistically significant difference was found regarding d-dimer levels between histopathologic study groups (P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased D-dimer levels should not be considered as a diagnostic parameter in diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Gülhane Military School of Medicine, Etlik/Ankara 06018, Turkey. onermentes@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Oner
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mentes
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eryilmaz
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harlak
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Mujdat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balkan
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kozak
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tufan
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D