'Sweet Dreams', 'Happy Days' and elevated 24-h urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid excretion. (January 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hallin, Magnus Lars Peter; Mahmoud, Kamala; Viswanath, Ananth; Gama, Rousseau
• Is Part Of: Annals of clinical biochemistry. Volume 50:Number 1(2013)
• Page Start: 80
• Page End: 82
• Publication Date: 2013-01
• Subjects: Clinical chemistry -- Periodicals; Clinical biochemistry -- Periodicals; 616.075
• DOI: 10.1258/acb.2012.012041
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0004-5632

Abstract

We report two patients with markedly elevated 24-h urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) excretion due to over-the-counter (OTC) self-medication with 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). It is important to recognize that OTC medication may cause increased 'false-positive' 5-HIAA excretion to prevent undue patient anxiety and unnecessary further investigation for carcinoid disease. Discordance between chromogranin A and 24-h urine 5-HIAA results should alert to the possibility of false-positive or -negative laboratory results.