DHEAS
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- Also Known As:
- DHEA-SO4
- DHEA Sulfate
- Formal Name:
- Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate

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At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
To help evaluate whether your adrenal glands are working properly; to detect adrenal tumors or cancers; to help determine the cause of masculine physical characteristics (virilization) in girls and women or early puberty in boys
When To Get Tested?
When a girl or woman has excess facial and body hair (hirsutism), acne, absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea), or when a woman is unable to get pregnant (infertility); when a boy shows signs of very early (precocious) puberty such as deeper voice, pubic hair, or muscle development
Sample Required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm
Test Preparation Needed?
None
What is being tested?
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a male sex hormone (androgen) that is present in both men and women. This test measures the level of DHEAS in the blood.
DHEAS:
- Plays a role in developing male secondary sexual characteristics at puberty
- Can be converted by the body into more potent androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione
- Can be converted into the female hormone estrogen
DHEAS is produced almost exclusively by the adrenal glands, with smaller amounts being produced by a woman’s ovaries and a man’s testicles.
A DHEAS test is useful in determining whether the adrenal glands are working properly. Adrenal tumors (cancerous and non-cancerous) and enlargement of an adrenal gland (hyperplasia) can lead to an increased level of DHEAS. Rarely, an ovarian tumor may produce DHEAS.
Excess DHEAS:
- May not be noticed in adult men
- Can cause early (precocious) puberty in young boys
- Can lead to absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea) and the development of masculine physical characteristics (virilization) in girls and women, such as excess body and facial hair (hirsutism)
- Can cause a female baby to be born with genitals that are not distinctly male or female in appearance (ambiguous external genitalia)
Common Questions
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The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.
If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range.
Laboratory test results are not meaningful by themselves. Their meaning comes from comparison to reference ranges. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. They are sometimes called “normal” values. By comparing your test results with reference values, you and your healthcare provider can see if any of your test results fall outside the range of expected values. Values that are outside expected ranges can provide clues to help identify possible conditions or diseases.
While accuracy of laboratory testing has significantly evolved over the past few decades, some lab-to-lab variability can occur due to differences in testing equipment, chemical reagents, and techniques. This is a reason why so few reference ranges are provided on this site. It is important to know that you must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are “within normal limits.”
For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
View Sources
Sources Used in Current Review
(© 1995–2014). Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S), Serum. Mayo Clinic Mayo Medical Laboratories [On-line information]. Available online at https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/Overview/113595. Accessed January 2020.
Elhomsy, G. and Griffing, G. (Updated 2012 September 10). Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Sulfate. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2088893-overview#showall. Accessed January 2020.
(June 24, 2002) Kovacs, P. Elevated DHEAS Levels in Women With PCOS. Medscape Ask the Experts. Available online at https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/481129. Accessed January 2020.
Sources Used in Previous Reviews
Thomas, Clayton L., Editor (1997). Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, PA [18th Edition].
Pagana, Kathleen D. & Pagana, Timothy J. (2001). Mosby’s Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference 5th Edition: Mosby, Inc., Saint Louis, MO.
Ribeiro, R.C., et.al. (2000 October). Adrenocortical tumors in children. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, International Adrenocortical Tumor Registry [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.stjude.org/ipactr/reference_treatment_16.htm.
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate, Serum. RUP’s Guide to Clinical Laboratory Testing (CLT) [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.aruplab.com/guides/clt/tests/clt_a178.htm.
A.D.A.M., Inc. Updated (2002 May 17, Updated). Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000411.htm.
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(© 1995-2010). Unit Code 8493: Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S), Serum. Mayo Clinic, Mayo Medical Laboratories [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Overview/8493. Accessed December 2010.
Yahya Abdel-Rahman, M. et. al. (2010 August 5). Androgen Excess. eMedicine Laboratories [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/273153-overview. Accessed December 2010.
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Meikle, W. et. al. (Updated 2010 April). Amenorrhea. ARUP Consult [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/Amenorrhea.html#tabs=0. Accessed December 2010.
Eckman,A. (Updated 2010 April 20). DHEA-sulfate test. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003717.htm. Accessed December 2010.
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Clarke, W. and Dufour, D. R., Editors (2006). Contemporary Practice in Clinical Chemistry, AACC Press, Washington, DC, Pp 381-382.
Topiwala, S. (Updated 2014 April 28). DHEA-sulfate test. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003717.htm. Accessed September 2014.
(© 1995–2014). Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S), Serum. Mayo Clinic Mayo Medical Laboratories [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Overview/8493. Accessed September 2014.
Elhomsy, G. and Griffing, G. (Updated 2012 September 10). Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Sulfate. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2088893-overview#showall. Accessed September 2014.
Wayne, M. and Miller, C. (Updated 2014 February). Amenorrhea. ARUP Consult [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/Amenorrhea.html?client_ID=LTD#tabs=0. Accessed September 2014.
Lucidi, R. (Updated 2013 November 11). Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/256806-overview. Accessed September 2014.
Kaplowitz, P. (Updated 2013 February 11). Precocious Puberty. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/924002-overview. Accessed September 2014.
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Rao LV, Pechet L, Jenkins A, et al. (2011). in Wallach’s Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests. Williamson MA, Snyder LM, eds. Chapter 2 – Laboratory Tests: DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULFATE, SERUM (DHEA-SULFATE). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Philadelphia.
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