Derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) as a diagnostic biomarker of pediatric acute appendicitis.

ABSTRACT

Appendicitis stands as the most common surgical emergency in pediatric populations. Despite the existence of numerous diagnostic biomarkers, their utility is constrained by limitations in cost-effectiveness, potentially leading to therapeutic delays. This research aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) in appendicitis. Although its role in this context has been recently described, this is the first study to compare its performance against acute-phase reactants routinely employed in clinical practice. Following approval from the Research Committee (2023/390894), a diagnostic study was conducted including patients under 15 years old undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis (AA) and those presenting with non-surgical abdominal pain (AP).