Cortisone, Serum

Test Code

37098

CPT Codes
82542

Preferred Specimen

1 mL serum collected in a red-top tube (no gel)

Patient Preparation
Overnight fasting is preferred

Minimum Volume

0.3 mL

Other Acceptable Specimens

Plasma collected in: EDTA (lavender-top) tube

Instructions

Specify time of day specimen was collected

Transport Temperature

Refrigerated (cold packs)

Specimen Stability

Room temperature: 48 hours
Refrigerated: 21 days
Frozen: 1 year

Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)

Gross hemolysis • Received room temperature • Serum separator tube (SST)

Methodology
Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

FDA Status
This test was developed and its analytical performance characteristics have been determined by Quest Diagnostics. It has not been cleared or approved by FDA. This assay has been validated pursuant to the CLIA regulations and is used for clinical purposes.

Setup Schedule

Set up: Mon-Sat; Report available: 3-4 days

Reference Range

	AM (mcg/dL)	PM (mcg/dL)
Adult Males and Females	1.2-3.5	0.6-2.8

	AM (mcg/dL)
Full Term Infants, birth**	2.6-15.6
7 Days**	0.3-4.5
2 Weeks-3 Months**	0.9-5.4
4-11 Months	0.5-4.1
1 Year	0.5-4.0
2-3 Years	0.5-3.9
4 Years	0.5-4.0
5 Years	0.5-4.1
6 Years	0.6-4.3
7 Years	0.7-4.5
8 Years	0.8-4.7
9 Years	0.9-4.9
10 Years	0.9-5.1
11-12 Years	1.0-5.2
13-17 Years	1.0-5.3

Pediatric lower reference values are reflective of both AM and early PM sampling

**Pediatric data from Sippell WG et al., Pediat Res (1980) 14:39-46.

Clinical Significance

Measurement of both Free Cortisol and Cortisone are useful in diagnosing patients with low-renin hypertension caused by apparent mineralocorticoid excess. This may be due to either an inherited defect in 11HSDB2 enzyme or an acquired inhibitor of the enzyme by such compounds as glycyrrhizic acid, a component of natural licorice.

The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.