INTRODUCTION: This study is to investigate the significance of spot urine 5-hydroxy indol acetic acid levels in patients admitted with the suspicion of acute apendicitis.
METHODS: Between January 2011 and June 2011, patients with the complaints of abdominal pain were evaluated according to levels of 5-hydroxy indol acetic acid in urine at admission. This study was designed as prospectively.
RESULTS: Forthy-nine patients with the mean age of 10.4 years ±3.4 who were admitted and interned to our department during the one year period with the complaints of abdominal pain. After the clinical evaluation appendicitis was detected in 32 patients
and abdominal pain was found to be due to causes other than appendicitis in 17 patients. Two of the patiens were negatif appendectomy. Spot urine samples were collected in all patients during admission and 5-hydroxy indol acetic acid levels were studied.
The differences between the patients with acute appendicitis and other groups were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Sensitivity, specifity, positive predictive value and diagnostic specificity of 5-hydroxy indol acetic acid level in spot urine were 63%,
66%, 54%, 73%, respectively.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Spot urine 5-hydroxy indol acetic acid levels in diagnosis of acute appendicitis seems to have limited diagnostic power as a single parameter in children.