Biochemical Tests for Diagnosis of Phaeochromocytoma: Urinary Versus Plasma Determinations

Overview

Journal Br Med J (Clin Res Ed)

Specialty General Medicine

Date 1981 Mar 14

PMID 6783201

Citations 18

Authors

P F Plouin

J M Duclos

J Menard

E Comoy

C Bohuon

J M Alexandre

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Fifteen patients with hypertension due to phaeochromocytoma and 35 controls with essential hypertension were studied to assess the diagnostic value of urinary and plasma biochemical determinations in phaeochromocytoma. In every case of phaeochromocytoma the urinary concentration of vanillylmandelate, metanephrines, or adrenaline plus noradrenaline was diagnostic of the disease irrespective of whether the patient was normotensive or hypertensive at the time. Plasma determinations of adrenaline and noradrenaline, however, gave falsely negative results on three occasions. These findings suggest that urinary biochemical determinations--particularly of metanephrines--are more reliable than plasma catecholamine measurements as a test for phaeochromocytoma. The test is particularly useful in patients with intermittent hypertension.

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References

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