A simple method for the determination of N-acetyldopamine (NADA) (both free and conjugated) in children's urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection has been developed. Conjugated NADA was measured as the free compound after enzymatic hydrolysis and purification on alumina. The total analysis time is 25 min. The results show a linearity of the whole assay from 0.005 to 20 mumol/l NADA; the sensitivity is 0.2 pmol per 20 microliters injected sample. Mean recoveries of 96.7 and 86.6% were obtained for free and total NADA, respectively. Modifications of the retention times (between 2 and 50 min) induced by changes in the eluent were determined. Conjugated NADA accounted for about 90% of the total excretion of NADA. These results suggest that this compound could play an important part in neuroblastoma; its concentration is thirteen times higher in children with neuroblastoma than in normal subjects.