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Catecholamines - urine - Results

Alternative Names

Dopamine-urine test; Epinephrine-urine test; Adrenalin-urine test; Vanillylmandelic acid (VMA); Urine metanephrine; Normetanephrine; Norepinephrine-urine test; Urine catecholamines; VMA; HVA; Metanephrine; Homovanillic acid (HVA)

Normal Values:

All of the catecholamines are broken down into inactive substances that appear in the urine:

  • Dopamine becomes homovanillic acid (HVA)
  • Norepinephrine becomes normetanephrine and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA)
  • Epinephrine becomes metanephrine and VMA

The following normal values are the amount of the substance found in the urine over a 24-hour period:

  • Dopamine: 65 - 400 micrograms (mcg)/24 hours
  • Epinephrine: 0.5 - 20 mcg/24 hours
  • Metanephrine: 24 - 96 mcg/24 hours (some laboratories give the range as 140 - 785 mcg/24-hours)
  • Norepinephrine: 15 - 80 mcg/24 hours
  • Normetanephrine: 75 - 375 mcg/24 hours
  • Total urine catecholamines: 14 - 110 mcg/24 hours
  • VMA: 2 - 7 milligrams (mg)/24 hours

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.

What abnormal results mean:

Elevated levels of urinary catecholamines may indicate:

The test may also be performed for:

  • Reviewed last on: 6/1/2011
  • David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Young WF. Adrenal medulla, catecholamines, and pheochromocytoma. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 246.

Young WF. Endocrine hypertension. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 16.

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