Plasma D-dimer level in the diagnosis of adnexal torsion

Abstract

Objective: To date, there is no clinical or laboratory examination particular to adnexal torsion (AT); therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether the plasma D-dimer level has any merit in establishing a diagnosis in AT patients. Materials and methods: In total, 34 women who underwent laparoscopic surgery due to adnexal mass were incorporated into our study. While the study group consisted of 14 women operated on due to AT, the control group comprised of 20 patients operated on due to benign ovarian cysts. In order to study the plasma D-dimer level during the pre-operative period, venous blood samples were obtained from all the women who participated in this study. Results: The plasma D-dimer level in the AT group was seen to be significantly higher than that of the control group (2.20 +/- 1.71 mg/ ml, 0.43 +/- 0.21 mu g/ml, p = 0.002, respectively). When the cut-off value for the D-dimer level was taken as 0.65 mu g/ml, the sensitivity in determining the AT was found to be 71.4%, whereas the specificity was 85%. Conclusions: The results obtained from our present study suggest that the plasma D-dimer level could be a supplementary laboratory examination in establishing diagnoses in AT patients.