Acquired Central Diabetes Insipidus

A subtype of central diabetes insipidus (CDI) characterized by polyuria and polydipsia, due to an idiopathic or secondary decrease in vasopressin (AVP) production.

Epidemiology

The prevalence is unknown.

Clinical description

It occurs equally in both sexes and in all age groups but most often has an onset around the ages of 10-20. Symptoms include polyuria, polydipsia, usually associated with weight loss, and nocturia.

Etiology

Acquired CDI is secondary to a condition damaging the central nervous system or it is idiopathic (unknown etiology). Causes that lead to damage of the hypothalamus-neurohypophyseal brain region include head trauma (resulting from an accident or surgery), congenital abnormalities (pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS, see this term), infections (meningitis, encephalitis), autoimmune disorders (primary hypophisitis, see this term) and inflammatory (sarcoidosis and Wegener's granulomatosis, see these terms) or neoplastic (germinoma, meningioma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, craniopharyngioma (see these terms), Rathke cleft cysts and metastasis). Up to 50% of CDI cases are idiopathic and the cause is unknown but autoimmunity is suspected to be involved in a number of them.