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Urine Metanephrines
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Common Questions
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1. Can I have tumors in both of my adrenal glands?
2. If I avoid all of the interfering substances mentioned, could I prevent a pheochromocytoma?
3. Why haven’t I heard about pheochromocytomas?
4. Will my doctor ever test for HVA or VMA?
5. Is it really necessary to collect urine for 24 hours?
1. Can I have tumors in both of my adrenal glands?
Yes. Usually a single adrenal tumor will arise in one gland or the other, but multiple tumors can form. This is more likely in patients with a strong family history of pheochromocytomas.
2. If I avoid all of the interfering substances mentioned, could I prevent a pheochromocytoma?
No. They interfere with accurate test results, but they do not cause or exacerbate the tumor itself.
3. Why haven’t I heard about pheochromocytomas?
Because they are rare. They are important to diagnose, however, because they are a potentially curable cause of hypertension (which is usually controllable but not curable).
4. Will my doctor ever test for HVA or VMA?
Yes, occasionally, but in most cases metanephrine and catecholamine testing give your doctor the information he needs. HVA and VMA may be more useful in the diagnosis of other neuroendocrine tumors. Most pheochromocytomas do not produce dopamine or HVA.
5. Is it really necessary to collect urine for 24 hours?
Yes, for accurate test results it is essential that all of the urine be collected. Because the catecholamines are released at varying times, the one sample not included might be the one with the most metanephrines in it.
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This article was last reviewed on
March 2, 2005.
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