Abstract
Purpose: The Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) is used as a diagnostic tool for acute appendicitis in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the PAS and the histopathological progression of appendicitis.
Methods: We investigated 45 children diagnosed clinically and histopathologically as having acute appendicitis during the period of 3 years from April 2012 to March 2015. We assessed the relationship between the PAS and the histopathological progression of appendicitis using the resected appendix of the above subjects.
Results: The mean age was 9.2 (4–14) years. The mean PAS was 6.3 ± 1.6. The histopathological stages of acute appendicitis were inflamed (n = 1: 2%), phlegmonous (n = 18: 44%), gangrenous (n = 19: 45%), and perforated (n = 7: 16%). The PAS was significantly different between phlegmonous and gangrenous (5.2 ± 1.5 : 6.9 ± 1.4), between phlegmonous and perforated (5.2 ± 1.5 : 7.3 ± 0.7), and between nonperforated and perforated (6.1 ± 1.7 : 7.3 ± 0.7).
Conclusions: Our study suggests that the PAS is associated with the histopathological progression of appendicitis to some extent. We must note that children with a high PAS may have acute appendicitis.
