An investigation into the predictive role of serum inflammatory parameters in the diagnosis of complicated acute cholecystitis

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder gangrene and perforation are an important complication of acute calculous cholecystitis and are difficult to detect preoperatively. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate whether serum inflammatory parameters are predictive factors for complicated cholecystitis (CC). METHODS: In the present study, histopathological findings of 250 patients who were operated on with the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis (AC) in the emergency department between 2014 and 2019 were evaluated and the cases were divided into two groups as AC and CC. Parameters, including age, gender, body mass index, white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW), were examined for their ability to predict CC. RESULTS: The findings obtained in this study showed that WBC, CRP, and NLR were significantly higher in the CC group (p<0.05). WBC >9.000 cells/ml, CRP >29.0, and NLR >4.3 were the factors that could predict CC. There was no significant difference between the two groups concerning MPV and PDW (p>0.05). CC was observed more frequently in patients over 65 years of age, but there was not a statistically significant difference (p=0468). CONCLUSION: WBC, CRP, and NLR are valuable biochemical markers in predicting complicated AC. Advanced age may be a helpful predictive factor for CC. These factors may be helpful in making an early cholecystectomy decision.