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Olive ingestion causing a false suspicion of relapsed neuroblastoma: A case of "oliveblastoma?"
Nick Flynn1, Amanda LeFebvre2, Boo Messahel2
1Biochemical Genetics Unit, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
Pediatric Blood & Cancer
|June 21, 2018
Abstract:
Measurement of the urine catecholamine metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) are the standard method for detecting disease recurrence in neuroblastoma. We present a case of abnormal concentrations of catecholamine metabolites that prompted investigations for relapsed neuroblastoma. However, further study revealed that the abnormal biochemistry was likely due to ingestion of olives. Olive ingestion should be considered when interpreting urine HVA and VMA results, and excluded if concentrations are unexpectedly abnormal.