Catecholamines, Urine 24hrs
Understanding Catecholamines, Urine 24hrs
What is Catecholamines, Urine 24hrs?
Catecholamines are the hormones released by the adrenal glands under stress conditions. This test measures the levels of catecholamines in the urine. This test mainly checks for the levels of hormones, including dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. This test helps to confirm or exclude certain types of rare tumors of the adrenal gland called a pheochromocytoma or a rare tumor outside of the adrenal gland called a paraganglioma and a cancerous tumor that develops from nerve tissue called neuroblastoma. These tumors produce excessive catecholamines causing symptoms like high blood pressure, severe headache, sweating or rapid heartbeat. In most cases, the tumors can be surgically removed or treated significantly to reduce the catecholamines produced and eliminate their associated symptoms and complications.