BACKGROUND Measurements of 24-h fractionated urinary metanephrines and catecholamines are used for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, but adequate information is needed regarding collection, storage, and shipment conditions. METHODS Spot urine samples were collected from 8 healthy volunteers. Aliquots were immediately frozen at -20 degrees C, or acidified to pH 4 and then frozen either direct...

CONTEXT Patients with adrenal and extra-adrenal abdominal paraganglioma (PGL) almost invariably have increased plasma and urine concentrations of metanephrines, the O-methylated metabolites of catecholamines. We report four cases of biochemically silent abdominal PGL, in which metanephrines were normal despite extensive disease. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to identify the mechanism underlying...

Abstract Introduction An incidental adrenal nodule is present in 1–3% of abdominal cross-sectional imaging and pose a diagnostic dilemma for the investigating clinician. Adrenal nodules can be functional or cancer risk, hence complete hormone profile investigation necessary. Methods We piloted streamlined clinic within endocrine surgery department assessing incidentalomas by trained surgical ca...

Background: Urine metanephrines are used to screen for phaeochromocytoma or paraganglioma (PPGL). Current reference intervals (RI) derived in healthy individuals not age sex-stratified, and lower than hypertensive patients, leading high false positive rates. This study aims determine sex-stratified RI from a contingent screening population. Methods: Patients with 24-hour deconjugated urine 3/6/...

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) can be an unusual first clinical manifestation of pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytomas are tumors that may produce a variety of substances in addition to catecholamines. To date, several cases of IL-6-producing pheochromocytomas have been reported. This report describes a 45-year-old woman with pheochromocytoma who was admitted with FUO, normal blood pressure levels...

BACKGROUND High-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS)1 analysis of plasma free metanephrines is the most diagnostically sensitive and specific screening test for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. We sought to develop an in-house method for this expensive test METHODS We used off-line isopropanol protein precipitation of plasma to remove interfering substances...

Hormonal evaluation in patients with an adrenal incidentaloma can be difficult in patients with comorbidities or in patients using interfering drugs. We present a case of a 54-year-old man who was evaluated for an adrenal mass. The medical history reported treatment with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor for recurrent psychoses. Hormonal screening showed elevated levels of normetanephrine and...