Cellulitis and deep vein thrombosis can be distinguished with red cell distribution width (RDW) levels from each other

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of RDW in patients with hospitalized patients with preliminary diagnosis of lower extremity cellulitis, and patients with deep vein thrombosis due to similar complaints and findings for physicians. Method: Patients who applied to the Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine Hospital between 2010 and 2016 were screened through the hospital information system. A total of 3225 patients were examined in a group of 20466 patients with deep vein thrombosis and lower extremity venous doppler ultrasonography were studied. 275 patients were included in deep vein thrombosis group, as deep venous thrombus detected by ultrasonography of the lower extremity Doppler. In the cellulitis patient group, 456 patients were identified who are hospitalized with prenatal diagnosis of cellulitis. After the exclusion criteria were applied, 152 patients were included in the cellulitis group; they were excluded from deep vein thrombosis by lower extremity venous doppler ultrasonography. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS.20) package program was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 427 patients were enrolled between the years 2010 and 2016 who were admitted to the Atatürk University Research Hospital with 275 (64.4%) lower extremity deep venous thrombosis and 152 (35.6%) cases of lower extremity cellulitis. A total of 236 of these patients were male and 191 were female. In males, the percentage of males was 55.3% and the percentage of females was 44.7%. The mean age of the 427 patients included in our study was 60,73 ± 16,61, with a minimum age of 18 and a maximum age of 105. The mean RDW values was 14.63 ± 1.87, the minimum value was 12, and the maximum value was 23.70. Haemoglobin values averaged 14,34 ± 1,56 g/dl, minimum haemoglobin value 12 g/dl, maximum 21 g/dl. When we look at the age, RDW and haemoglobin values of the patients we included in our study according to DVT and cellulitis groups; Age, RDW, haemoglobin values in DVT and cellulitis groups were as follows: 59.3 ± 16.5, 63.3 ± 16.5 (p = 0.016); 14.6 ± 1.9, 14.7 ± 1.9 (p = 0.7444); 14.7 ± 1.9 g/dl, 14.2 ± 1.5 g/dl (p = 0.11). When the results were analysed, there was a significant age difference between the two groups, but there was no significant difference in terms of hemoglobin and RDW values. Conclusion: There was no significant difference between the RDW values of the cellulitis and DVT patients in 427 patients who applied to Atatürk University Medical Faculty Hospital. Therefore, RDW does not have a meaningful value in distinguishing these patients.