The clinical and laboratory correlates of an increased urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid

Over a five-and-a-half-year period, there were 298 laboratory requests for urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). The clinical and laboratory associations of the 24 patients in which there were 43 urinary 5-HIAA 24-h collection results greater than the laboratory upper reference limit are deta...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Postgraduate medical journal 1995-09, Vol.71 (839), p.542-545
Main Authors: Tormey, W. P., FitzGerald, R. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - urine
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Carcinoid Tumor - complications
Carcinoid Tumor - diagnosis
Carcinoid Tumor - urine
Diagnostic Imaging
Diarrhea - etiology
Diarrhea - urine
Endocrinopathies
Female
Flushing - etiology
Flushing - urine
General aspects. Associated endocrine diseases. Endocrine paraneoplasic syndromes
Humans
Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - urine
Ireland
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pheochromocytoma - urine
Predictive Value of Tests
Sensitivity and Specificity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Over a five-and-a-half-year period, there were 298 laboratory requests for urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). The clinical and laboratory associations of the 24 patients in which there were 43 urinary 5-HIAA 24-h collection results greater than the laboratory upper reference limit are detailed. Four were confirmed carcinoid tumours and two were phaeochromocytomas. Flushing was a prominent symptom in 46% and diarrhoea or altered bowel habit in 37%. Associated with the raised urinary 5-HIAA values were increased levels of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid and homovanillic acid in 14.3% and 21%, respectively, of those collections where the metabolites were requested. Diagnostic imaging was performed in 57%. While the specificity was 88%, 5-HIAA is relatively insensitive in the diagnosis of carcinoid tumours and a more widespread use of diagnostic imaging including isotope scanning with labelled metaiodo-benzylguanidine, vasoactive intestinal peptide and octreotide is suggested.
ISSN:0032-5473
1469-0756
DOI:10.1136/pgmj.71.839.542