Site Map

17-hydroxycorticosteroids urine test

17-OH corticosteroids; 17-OHCS

The 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.

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.

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.

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
• Depression
• Hydrocortisone therapy
• Malnutrition
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• A hormonal cause of severe high blood pressure
• Severe physical or emotional stress
• Tumor in the pituitary gland or elsewhere in the body that releases a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

A lower than normal level of 17-OHCS may indicate:

• Adrenal glands are not producing enough of their hormones
• Pituitary gland is not producing enough of its hormones
• Hereditary enzyme deficiency
• 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.

Related Information

ACTH blood test
Cushing syndrome
Pituitary tumor
Overweight
High blood pressure in adults – hypertension
Addison disease
Hypopituitarism

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.

BACK TO TOP

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.

Health Content Provider 06/01/2025

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2025 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.