The diagnostic value of systemic inflammation indices in pregnant women with acute appendicitis and their relationship with the duration of hospital stay

Abstract

Aim: Physiological and anatomical changes occurring during pregnancy can complicate the diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA). This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of systemic inflammation indices in distinguishing AA in pregnant women and to assess their relationship with hospital stay duration. Material and Methods: This retrospective study encompassed 32 pregnant patients who underwent appendectomy and 32 healthy pregnant (control group). Systemic inflammation indices were calculated based on neutrophil (N), platelet (P), and lymphocyte (L) levels as follows: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) = N/L; the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) = P/L; systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) = (N×P)/L. Results: The AA group had higher median levels of PLR (30.9 vs. 22.4, p = 0.035), NLR (6.1 vs. 3.5, p < 0.001), and SII (1370 vs. 807, p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Systemic inflammation indices showed a positive correlation with the Alvarado score and the length of hospital stay. SII values demonstrated superior diagnostic performance in predicting AA compared to NLR and PLR values. The threshold value for SII in predicting AA was identified as >1316, with a sensitivity of 85.8% and a specificity of 72.5%. Conclusions: Systemic inflammation indices, particularly SII, demonstrate strong diagnostic value in distinguishing AA in pregnant women. SII demonstrated superior accuracy over NLR and PLR, correlating with both the Alvarado score and hospital stay, suggesting its utility as a diagnostic and prognostic marker.