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Diencephalic syndrome following cervical spinal cord trauma

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Summary

The authors discuss about five cases of diabetes insipidus observed in patients affected by traumatic cervical spine fractures and/ or dislocations, without either evident lesions of the cerebral structures at CT scan examination, or important craniocerebral trauma.

In all patients polyuria and hyperthermia arose some days after the traumatic accident and regressed spontaneously or after exogeneous vasopressin administration.

Vasopressin urinary levels confirmed the presence of a true diabetes insipidus, the origin of which is in largely obscure. A central medullary vasopressin mediated pathway, demonstrated only in experimental animals, may be responsible for such a finding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neurosurgery, University of Padova, Italy

    I. Iob, G. Salar & G. Mattisi

  2. Institute of Anaesthesiology, University of Padova, Italy

    C. Ori

  3. Institute of Endocrinology, University of Padova, Italy

    A. Rampazzo

Authors
  1. I. Iob
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  2. G. Salar
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  3. G. Mattisi
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  4. C. Ori
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  5. A. Rampazzo
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Iob, I., Salar, G., Mattisi, G. et al. Diencephalic syndrome following cervical spinal cord trauma. Acta neurochir 97, 123–127 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01772822

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01772822

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