DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF SERUM PROCALCITONIN AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN EGYPTIAN CHILDREN WITH STREPTOCOCCAL TONSILLOPHARYNGITIS

Abstract

We investigated serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in children with streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis or nonstreptococcal tonsillopharyngitis and in healthy children. The median (range) for PCT was 0.374 (0.11-6.5), 0.105 (0.01-0.53) and 0.02 (0.01-0.08) ng/mL in the streptococcal, nonbacterial tonsillopharyngitis and control groups, respectively. PCT had a greater specificity than CRP for detection of bacterial tonsillopharyngitis.