Catecholamines - urine

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Catecholamine urine test

Female urinary tract

Male urinary tract

Acute stress and vigorous exercise may also affect the test results.

The following drugs can increase catecholamine measurements:

• Caffeine
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Levodopa
• Lithium
• Aminophylline
• Chloral hydrate
• Clonidine
• Disulfiram
• Erythromycin
• Insulin
• Methenamine
• Methyldopa
• Nicotinic acid (large doses)
• Quinidine
• Tetracyclines
• Nitroglycerin

Drugs that can decrease catecholamine measurements include:

• Clonidine
• Disulfiram
• Guanethidine
• Imipramine
• MAO inhibitors
• Phenothiazines
• Salicylates
• Reserpine

The test involves only normal urination, and there is no discomfort.

The test is primarily used to diagnose pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma, and to monitor the effectiveness of their treatments. Urine catecholamine levels are elevated in the majority of neuroblastoma cases.

Catecholamines are small, chemically similar molecules derived from the amino acid tyrosine. The major catecholamines are dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (old name: adrenalin).

All of the catecholamines are broken down by their target tissues (such as the brain) or by the liver and become inactive substances that appear in the urine:

• Dopamine becomes Homovanillic acid (HVA)
• Norepinephrine becomes normetanephrine and Vanillylmandelic acid (VMA)
• Epinephrine becomes metanephrine and VMA

Review Date: 05/17/2005
Reviewed By: Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.