Appendicitis is the most common emergency in childhood, yet 3-30% of appendectomies may be unnecessary. Urine test for leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG) may help diagnose appendicitis in children.
Inflamed appendix removal by open surgery. Image source: Wikipedia, Dr Vgaikwad, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
An example of a leucine-rich repeat protein, a porcine ribonuclease inhibitor. Image source: Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.
Twitter comments:
hjluks better to remove a few normals than miss an appy that perforates.
Sorry, Im a doctor, how I can buy a LRG urine test for appendicitis?
ReplyDeleteDiarstop@hotmail.com
Re: "how I can buy a LRG urine test for appendicitis?"
ReplyDeleteI don't think the test is commercially available as of August 2009. It seems to be for research purposes only at this time.