Test Directory

• VMA/g Creatinine
• Creatinine

Urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) concentration is useful in the biochemical diagnosis and monitoring of neuroblastomas. VMA measurement from random urine specimens, expressed as the ratio of VMA to creatinine, may provide equivalent diagnostic value as VMA measurement from 24-hour urine specimens for the evaluation of neuroblastomas.

Specimen Type: Random Urine

Collection Container: Plastic Urine Container (Preservative Free)   

Desired Specimen Volume: 10 mL

1. Collect random urine in a plastic urine container (preservative free).

1. Transport 10 mL of urine in the original collection container.
2. Referral Testing Staff: adjust pH to <3.0 using 6N HCl.

It is preferable for the patient to be off medications for three days prior to collection. However, common antihypertensives (diuretics, ace inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, alpha and beta blockers) cause minimal or no interference.

Patient should avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco (including use of nicotine patch), bananas, citrus fruits and strenuous exercise prior to collection.

Transport to the laboratory refrigerated. 

• pH >3.0 and received frozen

See patient report.

Urinary VMA levels may have limited accuracy for diagnosis of neuroblastomas with high-risk metastatic biology. Because poor prognosis is associated with immaturity of catecholamine metabolism, dopamine levels in urine or blood have been proposed as an additional marker to aid in diagnosis and monitoring of neuroblastomas.

The results of this test should be interpreted in the context of pertinent clinical and family history and physical examination findings.

• VMA (Vanillylmandelic Acid), Random Urine