Skip to main content
Log in

Adipsic hypematremia in a patient with pseudotumor cerebri and the primary empty sella syndrome

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Adipsic hypematremia, a rare disorder, usually secondary to a hypothalamic lesion, is caused by the combination of partial central diabetes insipidus with hypo-or adipsia. We studied a patient who presented with a global hypothalamic dysfunction including adipsic hypematremia. An extensive work-up disclosed the presence of pseudotumor cerebri and an empty sella turcica. Although endocrine abnormalities including true diabetes insipidus have been reported in conjunction with pseudotumor cerebri or an empty sella, no patient described presented such a global hypothalamic dysfunction or adipsic hypematremia. The increased intracranial pressure is postulated to be the responsible mechanism for both the empty sella and the hypothalamic dysfunction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Robertson G.L., Aycinena P., Zerbe R.L. Neurogenic disorders of osmoregulation. Am. J. Med. 72: 339, 1982.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Welt L.G. Hypo- and hypernatremia. Ann. Intern. Med. 56: 161, 1962.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Reuter A.M., Hendrik J.C., Franchimont P. Mise au point d’un dosage rapide des gonadotrophines. Ann. Biol. Clin. 31: 479, 1973.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Skowsky W.R., Rosenbloom A.A., Fisher D.A. The use of thyroglobulin to induce antigenicity to small molecules. J. Lab. Clin. Med. 80: 134, 1972.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Robertson G.L., Mahr E.A., Athar S., Sinha T. Development and clinical application of a new method for the radioimmunoassay of arginine vasopressin in human plasma. J.Clin. Invest. 52: 2340, 1973.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Halter J.B., Goldberg A.P., Robertson G.L., Porte D. Selective osmoreceptor dysfunction in the syndrome of chronic hypernatremia. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 44: 609, 1977.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. De Rubertis F.R., Michelis M.F., Davis B.B. “Essential” hypernatremia. Arch. Intern. Med. 134: 889, 1974.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ahlskog J.E., O’ Neill B.P. Pseudotumor cerebri. Ann. Intern. Med. 97: 249, 1982.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Weisberg L.A. Benign intracranial hypertension. Medicine (Baltimore) 54: 197, 1975.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Foley K.M., Posner J.B. Does pseudotumor cerebri cause the empty sella syndrome? Neurology 25: 565, 1975.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Smith D.J., Kohler P.C., Helminiak R., Carroll J. Intermittent Cushing’s syndrome with an empty sella turcica. Arch. Intern. Med. 142: 2185, 1982.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cupps T.R., Woolf P.D. Primary empty sella syndrome with panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus and visual field defects. Acta Endocrinol. (Kbh.) 89: 445, 1978.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Brisma K., Effendie S. Pituitary function in the empty sella syndrome. Neuroendocrinology 32: 70, 1981.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Stuart C.A., Neelon F.A., Lebovitz H.E. Hypothalamic insufficiency: the cause of hypopituitarism in sarcoidosis. Ann. Intern. Med. 88: 559, 1978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Verdin, E., Smitz, S., Thibaut, A. et al. Adipsic hypematremia in a patient with pseudotumor cerebri and the primary empty sella syndrome. J Endocrinol Invest 8, 369–372 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348516

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348516

Key-words

Navigation