17-hydroxycorticosteroids urine test
17-OH corticosteroids; 17-OHCSThe 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) test measures the level of 17-OHCS in the urine.
How the Test is Performed
A 24-hour urine sample is needed. You will need to collect your urine over 24 hours. Your health care provider will tell you how to do this. Follow instructions exactly.
Collect your urine over 24 hours
The urine 24-hour volume test measures the amount of urine produced in a day. The amounts of creatinine, protein, and other chemicals released into ...
How to Prepare for the Test
Your provider will instruct you, if necessary, to stop medicines that may interfere with the test. These may include:
- Birth control pills that contain estrogen
- Certain antibiotics
- Glucocorticoids
How the Test will Feel
The test involves only normal urination. There is no discomfort.
Why the Test is Performed
17-OHCS is a product formed when the liver and other body tissues break down the steroid hormone cortisol.
This test can help determine if the body is producing too much cortisol. The test may be used to diagnose Cushing syndrome. This is a disorder that occurs when the body has a constant high level of cortisol.
Cushing syndrome
Cushing syndrome is a disorder that occurs when your body has a high level of the hormone cortisol.
The urine volume and urine creatinine are often done with 17-OHCS test at the same time. This helps the provider interpret the test.
This test is not done often now. The free cortisol urine test is a better screening test for Cushing disease.
Cortisol urine test
The cortisol urine test measures the level of cortisol in the urine. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid (steroid) hormone produced by the adrenal gland. C...
Normal Results
Normal values:
- Male: 3 to 9 mg/24 hours (8.3 to 25 µmol/24 hours)
- Female: 2 to 8 mg/24 hours (5.5 to 22 µmol/24 hours)
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.
What Abnormal Results Mean
A higher than normal level of 17-OHCS may indicate:
- A type of Cushing syndrome caused by a tumor in the adrenal gland that produces cortisol
Cushing syndrome
Cushing syndrome due to adrenal tumor is a form of Cushing syndrome. It occurs when a tumor of the adrenal gland releases excess amounts of the horm...
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- Hydrocortisone therapy
-
Malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that occurs when your body does not get enough nutrients.
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Obesity
Obesity
Overweight and obesity mean having a weight than is higher than what is healthy for a given height. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bo...
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- A hormonal cause of severe high blood pressure
High blood pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood to your body. Hypertension is the ...
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-
Tumor in the pituitary gland or elsewhere in the body that releases a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
Tumor in the pituitary gland
A pituitary tumor is an abnormal growth in the pituitary gland. The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain. It regulates the body's ba...
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A lower than normal level of 17-OHCS may indicate:
-
Adrenal glands are not producing enough of their hormones
Adrenal glands are not producing enough...
Addison disease is a disorder that causes the adrenal glands to not produce enough hormones.
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Pituitary gland is not producing enough of its hormones
Pituitary gland is not producing enough...
Hypopituitarism is a condition in which the pituitary gland does not produce normal amounts of some or all of its hormones.
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- Previous surgery to remove the adrenal gland
- An expected result if part of a standard three- day dexamethasone suppression test
Urinating more than 3 liters a day (polyuria) can make the result of the test high even though cortisol production is normal.
Risks
There are no risks with this test.
References
Newell-Price JDC, Auchus RJ. The adrenal cortex. In: Melmed S, Auchus, RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 15.
Review Date: 5/12/2023
Reviewed By: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.