Urinary Excretion of 17-Ketosteroids in Children

Determination of the urinary excretion of 1 7-keto- steroids (17-oxosteroids) is the most important laboratory test in the investigation of endocrine disorders involving the adrenal cortex and gonads in children. The normal range of excretion varies with the method employed, since non-steroidal pigment may to a greater or lesser degree be measured as 17-ketosteroid. It is important therefore to know the normal range for the method used. This applies particularly to children, in whom excretion rises with age. In this paper normal values for the two most commonly used methods are given as well as figures for the commoner pathological conditions in which 17-ketosteroid excretion is raised. The evaluation of 17-ketosteroid excretion in pathological disorders is discussed.