title: The value of preoperative diagnostic tests in acute appendicitis, retrospective analysis of 196 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic value of preoperative laboratory and radiological studies for appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 196 patients who have undergone conventional appendectomy between March 2007 and April 2008 were collected retrospectively. Patients were examined for age, sex, white blood cell count, ultrasonography results, histopathological diagnosis and hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Negative appendectomy rate was 17.3% (27% for female, 11.5% for male). White blood cell counts were found to be high in 83% for acute appendicitis group and %61 for negative appendectomy group. There were 66 (34%) patients who had negative USG findings for acute appendicitis. Of these patients, histopathological examination revealed acute appendicitis in 46 patients whereas 20 patients had normal appendix. Hospital stays were 2.79 +/- 1.9 and 2.66 +/- 1.7 days for negative and positive appendicectomies respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Besides the improvement of diagnostic tests for acute appendicitis, we could not sufficiently reduce the negative appendectomy rate.
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, E-5, Bostanci, Istanbul, Turkey. borakarip@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Memisoglu
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karip
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mestan
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Onur