Diabetes insipidus; central

Alternative names:

central diabetes insipidus

Definition:

A condition marked by extreme thirst and excessive urine output caused by a deficiency of a hormone that limits the amount of urine made (called antidiuretic hormone or vasopressin). See also diabetes insipidus; nephrogenic.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Central diabetes insipidus is a rare condition caused by damage to the hypothalamus or pituitary gland as a result of surgery, infection, tumor, or injury to the head. Normally, the hypothalamus in the brain synthesizes vasopressin, a hormone that causes the kidneys to conserve water by making concentrated urine. In diabetes insipidus, there is a lack of vasopressin. Without vasopressin, the kidneys fail to reabsorb excess filtered water. This results in a rapid loss of water from the body in the form of dilute urine. A person with diabetes insipidus drinks large quantities of water, driven by extreme thirst, to compensate for the water loss. Risk factors are related to the cause. The incidence is 1 out of 10,000 people.