Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) in Children with Acute Appendicitis

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is one of the causes of acute pediatric abdominal pain, requiring quick diagnosis with most cases requiring emergency surgery. Often another cause of acute abdominal pain is identified during surgery and this rate is significantly higher in children than adults. Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been suggested as a biomarker of inflammation. Therefore, we examined the association of MPV with acute appendicitis in children. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in 120 children. Sixty cases of acute appendicitis were identified, and 60 controls were identified who presented with abdominal pain but did not have acute appendicitis. Data on demographic and clinical characteristics and final diagnosis were extracted. Chi-square and t-tests were used to determine statistical significance. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants was 7.18 years (standard deviation 3.37). There were 72 males (61%) and 46 females (39%). Mean±SD of MPV was 8.2±0.1 fl, ESR was 24.8±2.0 mm/hour, white blood cell count was 11.5±4.1 x 103 per mL, neutrophils were 72%±1.6%, and lymphocytes were 26.5%±1.6%. There was no difference in MPV between patients with and without acute appendicitis as final diagnosis (8.27±0.13 f1 vs. 8.22±0.13 fl, P＞0.05). CONCLUSION: We found no association between MPV and acute appendicitis in children. Other biomarkers need to be evaluated to support clinicians in making a diagnosis of acute appendicitis.