What does it mean if urinary catecholamine levels are elevated?

Answers:
Detection of abnormal catecholamine levels and localization of tumor mass are important factors in the diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma.^Iodine 131-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy was performed in 64 patients with suspected pheochromocytoma if their urinary catecholamine levels were borderline or elevated, or if the clinical suspicion for pheochromocytoma was high in spite of normal urinary catecholamine determinations.^The 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scans were evaluated for abnormal localization of tracer.^Twenty-four-hour urine collections were analyzed for vanillylmandelic acid, homovanillic acid, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.^Thirty of the 64 patients had pheochromocytomas.^The 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scan had a sensitivity and a specificity of 88%.^The 24-hour urine vanillylmandelic acid and norepinephrine measurements had the best sensitivity (97%), while the vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid measurements had the best specificity (91%).^In patients in whom the vanillylmandelic acid measurement and the 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scan were normal, no pheochromocytomas were found.^In patients in whom the vanillylmandelic acid measurement and 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scan were abnormal, a pheochromocytoma was always present.^The 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scan often documents the presence or absence of a pheochromocytoma and provides localization of the tumor in the preoperative evaluation of these patients.

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look it up, then ask your doctor

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Stop looking for medical advice on the internet. There are a lot of crackpots here. Ask a doctor

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There are a number of things that could cause elevated urinary catecholamines. One thing that comes quickly to mind is a pheochromocytoma, but that's hardly the only possibility.Unfortunately, since this is a somewhat generic lab result, there isn't a quick and easy answer to your question. You really need to sit down with your doctor and talk about what might be going on.Don't be afraid to ask your doctor questions, and be persistent until you understand what is going on.Hope this helps!

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