Abstract:

Objective To compare the diagnostic value of the ultrasonography and modified Alvarado score for elderly patients with acute appendicitis. Methods A retrospective analysis of 200 patients with complaints of acute right lower abdominal pain, clear surgical results, and age over 60 years was conducted. The diagnostic value of the ultrasonography and modified Alvarado score was compared by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the ultrasonography were 85.31%, 82.46%, 92.42% and 69.12%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.890. AUC of the modified Alvarado score was 0.782, slightly lower than that of the ultrasonography. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 87.41%, 73.68%, 89.29% and 70.0%, respectively for the cut-off point of 6. Conclusion The diagnostic value of the ultrasonography is equivalent to that of the modified Alvarado score for elderly patients with acute appendicitis. Combination of them has certain reference value for early diagnosis and treatment.

Key words: acute appendicitis, ultrasonography, modified Alvarado score