ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: a) to carry out a prospective study of 200 cases of acute appendicitis in adult patients; b) to correlate clinical, laboratory, radiological, and pathological findings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: clinical data were collected from all patients; every patient had hematic biometry, urine exam (UE), abdominal radiography, an histopathological study appendix. RESULTS: the patients were 98 males and 102 females; 66.5% were between 15 and 25 years old. All patients had abdominal pain, 56.5% nausea and vomit, 49% fever, 10.5% diarrhea, and 6% urinary symptoms. Post-operatory complications were seen in 24.5%. Leucocytosis greater than 10,000 was found in 82.5%, some alteration of UE in 45%, and abnormal radiography in 56.5%. Histopathological study showed simple appendicitis in 16.5%, hemorrhagic in 8%, purulent in 22%, hemo-purulent in 30.5%, an perforated in 21%. CONCLUSIONS: the diagnosis of appendicitis is basically a clinical one, since 17.5% showed normal white-cell count, and 43.5% normal radiography.