Measurements of Vanilmandelic Acid for the Diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma and Neuroblastoma

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Abstract
This paper presents a review of the pathways of catechol metabolism, with special reference to the metabolic disturbances that are observed in pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, and related neural tumors. The mean excretion in urine from 68 apparently normal persons was 4.0 mg per 24 hr. (S. D. [plus or minus] 1.5). The mean excretion of vanilmandelic acid in urine from 1489 hypertensive patients, excluding cases of pheochromocytoma, was 3.9 per 24 hr. (S. D. [plus or minus] 2.2). The range of vanilmandelic acid excretion in 18 patients with pheochromocytoma was 11 to 250 mg per 24 hr., and the range in 4 patients with neuroblastoma (including 1 patient with ganglioneuro-blastoma) was 22 to 58 mg per 24 hr. A resume has been presented of the pathologic, physiologic, dietary, and pharmacologic factors which influence the urinary excretion of vanilmandelic acid.