Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor of Complicated Acute Diverticulitis

Introduction: Various biomarkers have been studied to predict the severity of acute diverticulitis (AD), such as the leukocyte count and CRP, which are useful but lack sufficient sensitivity. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been identified as a new inflammatory biomarker in several abdominal pathologies. However, few studies determine its association with the severity of AD. The objective of the present study was to determine the utility and diagnostic precision of NLR in complicated acute diverticulitis (cAD). Material and methods: Descriptive, retrospective and analytical study. Patients older than 18 years with a diagnosis of AD were included, from 2013 - 2018. Demographic variables, days of hospitalization, leukocyte count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, ESR, CRP, and NLR were analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of cAD were determined using ROC curves.