Biochemical tests for pheochromocytoma

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Objective:To determine the optimal clinical strategy utilizing either 1) serum catecholamines, 2) urinary metaphrines, or 3) urinary vanillylmandelic acid measurements in the evaluation of hypertensive patients with suspected pheochromocytoma. Design:Prospective clinical determination of test-operating characteristics. Setting:Tertiary care university medical center. Patients/Participants:415 patients referred for evaluation of suspected pheochromocytoma. Interventions:All subjects bad measurements of the three above-mentioned biochemical tests with the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma established by tissue confirmation. Results:All three biochemical tests were similar in sensitivity (0.70–0.75), specificity (0.90–0.95), and receiver operating characteristics. With an estimated disease prevalence of 5.9% in symptomatic hypertensive patients, the predictive value of any single negative test would be 98% in ruling out disease. Conclusions:All three biochemical tests have similar performance characteristics and only a single test need be performed to exclude pheochromocytoma in most symptomatic hypertensive patients in a primary care population.

This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit: