嗜铬细胞瘤是一类可医治的高血压病,由于临床症状及体征不同,可能不易被发现。因此,它的诊断常根据测定血浆几茶酚胺浓度增加和/或儿茶酚胺及其代谢产物排泄的增加而作出。然而,血浆儿茶酚胺测定可以在正常范围内,因为某些肿瘤可以分泌大量无药理活性的,去氨基和甲氧基代谢物,而游离的去甲肾上腺素和肾上腺素的量却较少,或间断地释放它们的分泌物。测定尿中儿茶酚胺及其代谢产物,已在许多实验室中应用。但是,有些试验是非特异性的,或者测定中有困难,假阳性并不少见,而且肾脏可以直接改变其代谢产物的排泄。因此,测定血浆儿茶酚胺代谢产物对于检查嗜铬细胞瘤应是更有希望的方法。作者报告了一个测定去 Pheochromocytoma is a treatable form of hypertension that may not be readily detected due to clinical signs and symptoms. Therefore, its diagnosis is often based on the determination of plasma concentrations of catecholamines and / or increases in excretion of catecholamines and their metabolites. However, plasma catecholamine assays can be in the normal range because some tumors can secrete large amounts of non-pharmacologically active, deamino and methoxy metabolites with less or no free norepinephrine and epinephrine Release their secretions. Determination of urinary catecholamines and their metabolites, has been used in many laboratories. However, some tests are nonspecific or difficult to measure and false positives are not uncommon and the kidneys can directly alter the excretion of their metabolites. Therefore, the determination of plasma catecholamine metabolites should be a more promising method for the detection of pheochromocytoma. The authors reported a test going