[Laparoscopy in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis]

The results of diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) were retrospectively analyzed in 2403 patients, in 336 of them diagnostic laparoscopy (DLS) was performed. Acute appendicitis was diagnosed in 132 (39.3%) patients, other surgical diseases were found in 102 (20.35%) and acute surgical abdominal diseases of were excluded in 102 (20.35%) patients. AA was also diagnosed in 17 patients suspected for other surgical diseases of the abdomen. This is DLS showed AA in 149 (42.2%) patients and its absence in 204 (57.8%) cases DLS revealed cathartic AA was in 3 (2%) patients, in of 2 of them there was a diagnostic error during morphologic control (no inflammation). The diagnostic error rate was 96% in the group of 163 patients undergone appendectomy for cathartic AA without previous DLS. At DLS destructive AA forms were diagnosed in 111 patients, diagnostic errors were made in 0.9%. In the group of patients undergone appendectomy for destructive AA without previous DLS, the diagnostic errors rate was 1.1%. In 35 cases (23.4%) when the appendix could not be visualized at DLS (including patients with appendiceal infiltrate), the diagnosis was based on indirect criteria, errors being made in 3 cases. There were neither direct nor indirect data on the appendiceal status in 3 (0.9%) DLS. In these cases, the policy was based on clinical manifestations.