What are they used for?
Catecholamine tests are most often used to diagnose or rule out certain types of rare tumors, including:
Pheochromocytoma, a tumor of the adrenal glands. This type of tumor is usually benign (not cancerous). But it can be fatal if left untreated.
Neuroblastoma, a cancerous tumor that develops from nerve tissue. It mostly affects infants and children.
Paraganglioma, a type of tumor that forms near the adrenal glands. This type of tumor is sometimes cancerous, but usually grows very slowly.
The tests may also be used to see if treatments for these tumors are working.
