[Adrenal and extra-adrenal phaeochromocytoma: diagnostic features and localisation by determining plasma...

Urinary catecholamines and urinary excretion of vanillylmandelic acid confirmed the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma in ten patients. In two of seven a modified glucagon test significantly aided confirmation of the diagnosis. In all patients the tumour was localised both by catecholamine determination in blood from the vein draining into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and by adrenal phlebography. Site of the adrenal tumour was definitively determined by the high catecholamine level in the adrenal veins and by phlebography. Three extra-adrenal tumours, a thoracic and two abdominal ones, were localised by high catecholamine levels in blood from other veins draining into the IVC. Vanillylmandelic acid determinaion was unreliable in the diagnosis of small phaeochromocytomas.