A 45 year old male presented with palpitations, tachycardia & anxiety. His BP is 158/90 mmHg. The patient also has mild depression and is presently taking citalopram, labetalol & amlodipine to control his blood pressure. 24-hour urine total metanephrines are ordered and show an elevation of 1.5 times the upper limit of normal. What is the next best step?
High-Yield Explanation
Investigations done in pheochromocytoma 24 hour urinary fractionated metanephrine 24 hour urinary catecholamines 24 hour urinary vanillylmandelic acid level IOC- Plasma fractionated metanephrine levels 24-hour urine total metanephrines has high sensitivity & value of three times the upper limit of normal is highly suggestive of pheochromocytoma. Borderline elevation- likely to be false positives. Drugs related- include levodopa, sympathomimetics, diuretics, TCA, and a- and b-blockers (Labetalol) Therefore, hold labetalol for 1 week and repeat testing is the best next step