Vanillylmandelic Acid (VMA), 24-Hour Urine

CPT: 84585
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Synonyms

  • 3-Methoxy-4-Hydroxymandelic Acid, 24-Hour Urine
  • VMA, 24-Hour Urine

Special Instructions

Record total 24-hour urine volume on the request form.


Expected Turnaround Time

3 - 4 days



Related Documents

For more information, please view the literature below.

Q & A: Laboratory Screening for Pheochromocytomas


Specimen Requirements


Specimen

Urine (24-hour)


Volume

4 mL aliquot


Minimum Volume

1 mL aliquot (Note: This volume does not allow for repeat testing.)


Container

Plastic urine container, no preservative (preferred), or acidic preservative


Collection

Instruct the patient to void at 8 AM and discard the specimen. Then collect all urine, including the final specimen voided at the end of the 24-hour collection period (ie, 8 AM the next morning). Measure and record total urine volume. Mix well; send aliquot. Label container with patient's name, date and time collection started, and date and time collection completed.


Storage Instructions

Vanillylmandelic acid is stable at room temperature unpreserved for seven days.


Stability Requirements

Temperature

Period

Room temperature

7 days

Refrigerated

14 days

Frozen

14 days

Freeze/thaw cycles

Stable x3


Patient Preparation

Patient should avoid salicylates, caffeine, phenothiazine, and antihypertension agents. Also coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit (especially bananas and any vanilla containing substances for 72 hours prior to collection).


Test Details


Use

Diagnose pheochromocytoma, VMA is of value for evaluation of hypertension, diagnose and follow up neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroma, and ganglioneuroblastoma. Most neuroblastoma patients excrete excess HVA in 24-hour collections. If VMA and HVA are both used in work-up, up to 80% of all cases will be detected.


Limitations

This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by LabCorp. It has not been cleared or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.


Methodology

Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS)


Reference Interval

0.0−7.5 mg/24 hours


Additional Information

Some neuroblastoma patients are positive for urinary homovanillic acid abnormality but do not excrete increased VMA. Twenty percent to 32% of patients with neuroblastoma do not have elevation of VMA. Many will have other laboratory abnormalities such as increased metanephrines, homovanillic acid (HVA), or dopamine.


LOINC® Map

Order Code Order Code Name Order Loinc Result Code Result Code Name UofM Result LOINC
004143 Vanillylmandelic Acid, 24-Hr U 3122-9 004144 VMA, Urine mg/L 9624-8
004143 Vanillylmandelic Acid, 24-Hr U 3122-9 004145 VMA, Urine, 24hr mg/24 hr 3122-9

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