Mass spectrometric identification of abnormal aromatic compounds in the urine of a child with Reye's like syndrome.

The urine of a young child with hypoglycemia and a Reye's like syndrome contained an excess of unusual aromatic products with a three carbon chain, phenylpropionylglycine and 3- and 4-(hydroxyphenyl)propionic and 3-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acids, as well as of organic acids usually found in fatty acid beta-oxidation defects: the mono- and dicarboxylic acids derived from the respective (omega-1) and omega-oxidation of C6 to C10 fatty acids.