homovanillate in 24 hour urine

Indications

• evaluation of neuroendocrine tumors
  • pheochromocytoma
  • neuroblastoma
  • ganglioneuroma

Reference interval

• adult:
  • 1.4-8.8 mg/day (8-48 umol/day)
  • < 6 ug/mg (< 3.5 mmol/mol) of creatinine*
• 6-15 years
  • < 19 ug/mg (< 12 mmol/mol) of creatinine*

* Creatinine is measured simultaneously to ensure adequate collection of urine & to calculate HVA/creatinine ratio.

Increases

• pharmaceutical agents
  • in vivo effects
    • disulfiram, L-dopa/pyridoxine, reserpine
  • chemical interferences (colorimetric methods)
    • aminosalicylic acid
• clinical disorders
  • pheochromocytoma
  • neuroblastoma
  • ganglioneuroma

Methods

• HPLC
• gas chromatography

Specimen

• urine, 24 hours
• preserve with 20 mL of 6M HCl
• refrigerate

More general terms

• 24 hour urine
• homovanillate in Urine

Additional terms

• ganglioneuroma
• homovanillate (HVA, homovanillic acid)
• neuroblastoma
• pheochromocytoma; paroxysmal hypertension; adrenal medullary paraganglioma; chromoffinoma