C-Reactive Protein as a Predictor of Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Patients with Acute Calculous Cholecystitis: A Multivariate Analysis

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the treatment of choice for mild and moderate acute cholecystitis. The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) as a predictor of difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy (DLC) in patients with acute cholecystitis.

Materials and methods: We conducted a prospective study. All patients included were treated with emergency LC. Patients were analyzed as DLC and nondifficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy (NDLC). Multiple logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis were employed to explore which variables were statistically significant in predicting a DLC. Two different models were analyzed.

Results: A total of 66 patients were included (37.9% DLC versus 62.1% NDLC). Ideal cutoff point for CRP was calculated as 11 mg/dL, with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for predicting DLC being 92% (95% CI 75-97.8), 82.9% (95% CI 68.7-91.5), 76.7%, and 94.4%, respectively. In the first model multivariate analysis, age >45 years, male sex, gallbladder wall thickness ≥5 mm, and pericholecystic fluid collection were significant predictors of DLC, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89. In the second model multivariate analysis, only CRP ≥11 (odds ratio, OR = 17.9, P = .013) was significant predictor of presenting DLC, with an AUC of 0.96.

Conclusions: Preoperative CRP with values ≥11 mg/dL was associated with the highest odds (OR = 17.9) of presenting DLC in our study. This value possesses good sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for predicting DLC in our population with acute calculous cholecystitis.