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17-Oxycorticosteroids in urine
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Reference values (norm) for the content of 17-Oxycorticosteroids in urine: men - 8.3-27.6 μmol/day (3-10 mg/day), women - 5.5-22.1 μmol/day (2-8 mg/day).
17-Oxycorticosteroids include glucocorticosteroids and their metabolites. Excretion of 17-Oxycorticosteroids is reduced in patients with chronic adrenal cortex insufficiency. In doubtful cases, tests with ACTH preparations should be performed. An increase in the excretion of 17-Oxycorticosteroids by 1.5 times or more on the first day of ACTH administration and a further increase on the 3rd day indicate a preserved functional reserve of the adrenal cortex and allow primary adrenal insufficiency to be excluded.
Increased excretion of 17-Oxycorticosteroids is observed in Cushing's disease and syndrome, and also quite often in alimentary-constitutional and hypothalamic-pituitary forms of obesity. For differential diagnosis of Cushing's disease and obesity, the Liddle dexamethasone test is used. A decrease in 17-OCS excretion during the test by 50% or more compared to the background indicates against Cushing's disease, while the content of 17-OCS in daily urine after the test should not exceed 10 μmol/day. If excretion is not suppressed by 50%, or if it has decreased more than 2-fold, but exceeds 10 μmol/day, then a diagnosis of Cushing's disease or syndrome is legitimate. A large dexamethasone test is performed for the purpose of differential diagnosis between the disease and Cushing's syndrome. Suppression of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid excretion by 50% or more indicates Itsenko-Cushing disease, while the absence of suppression indicates Itsenko-Cushing syndrome.