title: A rare case of central post-gravid diabetes insipidus.
abstract: Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) arising in the puerperal period has been attributed mainly to Sheehan's syndrome or to lymphocytic infundibulo-neurohypophysitis. We report the case of a 24-year-old woman who came to our observation for the appearance, 3 weeks after a normal delivery, of a polyuric-polydipsic syndrome. Measurements of urinary volumes, plasma osmolality and urinary osmolality, in conditions of free water intake, water deprivation and a water deprivation-vasopressin administration test, demonstrated CDI. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a normal morphology of the adenohypophysis and total absence of the neurohypophysis. Assays of the pituitary hormones were found to be within normal limits. These results, incompatible with a diagnosis of Sheehan's syndrome and lymphocytic infundibulo-neurohypophysis, excluded all the other known causes of acquired CDI. Our diagnosis was therefore of post-gravid idiopathic CDI. Thus, it is possible that in the puerperal period other diseases of the posterior hypophysis may develop, of unknown etiopathogenesis but equally responsible for CDI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Public Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Polyclinic, University of Bari, Italy. lfmorrone@libero.it
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Morrone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saracino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramunni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fasianos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coratelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passavanti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020790:Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*