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Hereditary diabetes insipidus: an immunohistochemical study of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland

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Summary

We report the histological findings in a case of hereditary diabetes insipidus (HDI) using vasopressin (VP) immunohistochemistry. The hypothalamus displayed a marked loss of magnocellular VP neurons, with preservation of the smaller cells. The neurohypophysis was severely atrophic with scanty immunoreactivity. Our results support the hypothesis that HDI results from a selective degeneration of VP neurons affecting chiefly the magnocellular elements projecting to the neurohypophysis. The sparing of the parvocellular component may reflect the projection of these neurons to non-pituitary targets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), Toronto General Hospital, EC4-316, 200 Elizabeth Street, M5G 2C4, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    C. Bergeron

  2. Department of Pathology, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    K. Kovacs

  3. Department of Endocrinology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif, USA

    C. Ezrin

  4. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    C. Mizzen

Authors
  1. C. Bergeron
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  2. K. Kovacs
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  3. C. Ezrin
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  4. C. Mizzen
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Bergeron, C., Kovacs, K., Ezrin, C. et al. Hereditary diabetes insipidus: an immunohistochemical study of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Acta Neuropathol 81, 345–348 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305879

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305879

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