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Clinical Chemistry 34: 582-585, 1988;
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Clinical Chemistry, Vol 34, 582-585, Copyright © 1988 by American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Melanogenuria: laboratory evaluation of the qualitative Thormahlen and ferric chloride tests and their clinical utility

RE Scott, VL Ward, GF Grinstead, BS Stevens and DM Wilson
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.

Malignant melanoma, a disease that is increasing in occurrence and medical concern, is characterized by the excretion of melanogens. Two qualitative tests are recommended for melanogen detection, the Thormahlen test and the ferric chloride test. We evaluated the laboratory and clinical performance of these tests by subsequently re- evaluating 201 urine samples that had been submitted for routine melanogen analysis. We used (a) Thormahlen, (b) ferric chloride, (c) small-scale thin-layer chromatography, and (d) spectrophotometry. Nearly 30% of Thormahlen test results were equivocal. The ferric chloride test was of no value in itself or in categorizing equivocal Thormahlen results as positive or negative. The small-scale chromatography was irreproducible. Prompt scanning of the Thormahlen reaction product was helpful in classifying equivocal results. History review of 121 histopathologically diagnosed melanoma patients indicated that these qualitative assays were of no clinical value in the diagnosis or monitoring of melanoma patients.




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Copyright © 1988 by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.