A cousin of mine underwent VMA test and the readings were 18.9 (range - 0-13.6).!
Question:
A cousin of mine underwent VMA test and the readings were 18.9 (range - 0-13.6). How to interpret the result?
Is the result alarming or could be ingnored. Aged 40 and diagnoised hypertensive for the past 6 years. Any other test to be done
Answers:
Hummmm....Interesting. Any endocrinologists out there?
I've got to admit, pheochromocytomas are quite rare- a mentor of mine once said that you will see one in your career and I saw mine in residency already (with that mentor)...
A VMA must have been ordered to look for a pheo and hypertension is a characteristic of a pheo, but 99 times out of 100, it's not gonna be the cause of hypertension in a patient...and I would expect a "higher" VMA level than slightly above the upper limits of normal...did the doc order a 24 hour urine catacholamine? Why don't you look up "pheochomocytoma tests" and see what you come up with...but honestly, I wouldn't be too concerned with the VMA level in and of itself...
and as for yourself, while pheos can be hereditary, I wouldn't be too concerned if I were you, even if my cousin was eventually diagnosed with a pheo...