Role of procalcitonin as a predictor in difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis case: A retrospective study based on the TG18 criteria

Difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy (DLC) is difficult to precisely predict before operation. This observational cohort study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of procalcitonin (PCT) for DLC in patients with acute cholecystitis (AC). A total of 115 patients were included in the study from January 2017 to April 2018. Multiple logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) were performed to evaluate the predictive value of PCT levels in DLC. Patients with DLC had significantly higher Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) grade (P = 0.002) and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = 0.007) and PCT (P < 0.001). The cut-off value of PCT for predicting DLC was 1.50 ng/ml. The sensitivity and specificity were 91.3% (95% CI 78.3–97.1) and 76.8% (95% CI 64.8–85.8), respectively. The area under ROC curve was 92.7% (95% CI 88.2–97.3, P < 0.001). Our results suggested that PCT was a good predictor for DLC in the AC patients, but further research is necessary. Monitoring of PCT trends in AC patients may be useful for preoperative risk assessment.