• Urinary epinephrine
• Urinary norepinephrine
• Urinary dopamine

• Work up neuroblastoma
• Diagnose pheochromocytoma

24 hr urine collection container with HCl

CAUTION: Strong acid; may cause skin burns.

Refrigerate during collection

How to collect a 24-hr urine sample

1. Measure and record the total urine volume 
2. Mix well
3. Transfer a 30 mL (minimum 4mL) aliquot to a Screw cap plastic container (sterile)

Screw cap plastic container (sterile)

Refrigerated (preferred) - 14 days

Ambient - 3 days

Frozen (-70 °C) - 30 days

• Specimen with no preservatives
• Original container with pH >5

Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS)

Epinephrine 
0 - 9 years:     0−11 µg/24 hours
10 - 19 years:  0−18 µg/24 hours
>19 years:       0−20 µg/24 hours

Norepinephrine
0 - 9 years:      0−59 µg/24 hours
10 - 19 years:  0−90 µg/24 hours
>19 years:       0−135 µg/24 hours

Dopamine
0 - 9 years:      0−414 µg/24 hours
10 - 19 years:   0−575 µg/24 hours
>19 years:        0−510 µg/24 hours

Pheochromocytomas and occasional paragangliomas may cause persistent or paroxysmal hypertension. Work up palpitation, severe headache, diaphoresis.

Urine collections are preferred to blood sampling when there is suspicion for tumor (eg, family history of MEA II) when hypertension is not paroxysmal. Evaluate for possible multiple endocrine adenomatosis type II.