Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an inflammatory marker. Recent studies have shown that there is a negative correlation between platelet count (PC) and MPV and that the ratio of these two values may be more meaningful. The aim of our study was to investigate the diagnostic value of MPV and the MPV/PC ratio in acute appendicitis.

Methods: Patients who were admitted to the emergency department and underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis between January 2013 and May 2016 were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were divided into three groups based on their histopathological findings: the control group (negative appendicectomy) and the uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis groups. Leukocyte count, CRP (C-reactive protein) levels, PC, MPV and the MPV/PC ratio were compared among the groups.

Results: A total of 424 patients, including 231 men, were included in the study. The average age of all patients was 34.9 ± 13.2 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the uncomplicated appendicitis, complicated appendicitis and control groups in terms of MPV, PC and the MPV/PC ratio. Leukocyte count had a strong discriminatory property based on the area under curve (AUC) 0.73, (p < 0.001). CRP levels, MPV, PC and the MPV/PC ratio had weak discriminatory power with AUC values <0.65. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of MPV were 83.79% and 23.21%, respectively, and 66.48% and 48.21%, respectively, for the MPV/PC ratio.

Conclusions: In our study, MPV and the MPV/PC ratio were not useful in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Keywords: Appendicitis; Mean platelet volume; Mean platelet volume/platelet count ratio.