CATECHOLAMINES, PLASMA

Catecholamines & their metabolites are chemical agents from nerve cells which play an important role in your body's response to stress. High levels cause high blood pressure with symptoms of headache, sweating, pounding of the heart & anxiety. This test is used for screening for Catecholamine secreting tumors like Neuroblastoma & other Neural crest tumors. These tumors usually arise in the adrenal gland in your body. Your blood is drawn under special conditions to detect levels of Catecholamines in the plasma.