Catecholamines Tests Health Article

Abnormal results

Depending on the results, high catecholamine levels can indicate different conditions and/or causes:

• High catecholamine levels can help to verify pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, or ganglioneuroma. An aid to diagnosis is the fact that an adrenal medullary tumor (pheochromocytoma) secretes epinephrine, whereas ganglioneuroma and neuroblastoma secrete norepinephrine.
• Elevations are possible with, but do not directly confirm, thyroid disorders, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), or heart disease.
• Electroshock therapy, or shock resulting from hemorrhage or exposure to toxins, can raise catecholamine levels.
• In the patient with normal or low baseline catecholamine levels, failure to show an increase in the sample taken after standing suggests an autonomic nervous system dysfunction (the division of the nervous system responsible for the automatic or unconscious regulation of internal body functioning).

BOOKS

Cahill, Mathew. Handbook of Diagnostic Tests. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corporation, 1995.

Jacobs, David S., et al. Laboratory Test Handbook. 4th ed. New York: Lexi-Comp Inc., 1996.

Pagana, Kathleen Deska. Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. St. Louis: Mosby, Inc., 1998.

Janis O. Flores

KEY TERMS

Dopamine—Dopamine is a precursor of epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Epinephrine—Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is a naturally occurring hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to signals from the sympathetic nervous system. These signals are triggered by stress, exercise, or by emotions such as fear.

Ganglioneuroma—A ganglioneuroma is a tumor composed of mature nerve cells.

Neuroblastoma—Neuroblastoma is a tumor of the adrenal glands or sympathetic nervous system. Neuroblastomas can range from being relatively harmless to highly malignant.

Norepinephrine—Norepinephrine is a hormone secreted by certain nerve endings of the sympathetic nervous system, and by the medulla (center) of the adrenal glands. Its primary function is to help maintain a constant blood pressure by stimulating certain blood vessels to constrict when the blood pressure falls below normal.

Pheochromocytoma—A pheochromocytoma is a tumor that originates from the adrenal gland's chromaffin cells, causing overproduction of catecholamines, powerful hormones that induce high blood pressure and other symptoms.