Measurements of Serum Vanilmandelic Acid in a Patient with Pheochromocytoma

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The highest concentration of serum vanilmandelic acid (47 mcgm per 100 ml) was present in the sample from the inferior vena cava at the level of the hepatic veins. The lowest concentration of serum vanilmandelic acid (18 mcgm per 100 ml) was found in the sample from the inferior vena cava at the level of the adrenal veins. Intermediate concentrations were found in samples from the superior vena cava and from the femoral artery, averaging 42 and 35 mcgm per 100 ml, respectively. These observations support the hypothesis that the liver is a major site for the production of vanilmandelic acid in patients with pheochromacytomas. Diurnal fluctuations in the urinary excretion of vanilmandelic acid in the patient with pheochromocytoma were analogous to those which have previously been observed in normal subjects.