[The diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma: sensitivity of vanillylmandelic acid and urinary catecholamine determination and the Katecult test (author's transl)].

Tumour weight was compared with maximal vanillylmandelic acid and catecholamine excretion in 24-hour urine in 21 patients with phaeochromocytoma. The tumour weight correlated both with vanillylmandelic acid (r = 0.805, P less than 0.001) as well as urinary catecholamine levels (r = 0.725, P less than 0.001). Normal vanillylmandelic acid excretion was found in seven patients; urinary catecholamine levels were abnormal in all patients. The Katecult test was additionally performed in ten patients, with nine positive results.