Fibrinogen as a Marker of Overall and Complicated Acute Appendicitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of fibrinogen (FB) for acute appendicitis and whether it can distinguish between uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis. Methods A search of electronic information sources was conducted to identify all studies reporting FB in patients with clinical suspicion or confirmed diagnosis of acute appendicitis. We considered two comparisons: (1) appendicitis versus no appendicitis and (2) uncomplicated appendicitis versus complicated appendicitis. To assess the diagnostic value of FB, sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratios, summary receiver operating characteristic curves, area under the curve, and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated. Results Seven studies (917 confirmed appendicitis and 1026 controls) for overall appendicitis and eight studies (602 complicated appendicitis and 1386 uncomplicated appendicitis) for complicated appendicitis were identified. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of FB for the diagnosis of appendicitis were 0.62 (95% CI: 0.58-0.65) and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.77-0.82), respectively. FB was more accurate in diagnosing complicated appendicitis, with a pooled sensitivity of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.69-0.78), specificity of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.73-0.78), and the area under the curve was 0.84. Conclusions As per this meta-analysis, FB has a potential diagnostic value in overall appendicitis and that it has a higher diagnostic value in the diagnosis of complicated appendicitis. Future well-designed prospective studies are needed to corroborate the findings.