A family suffering from cranial diabetes insipidus, that extends over 4 generations, is described. Inheritance of polyuria was autosomal dominant. Vasopressin function was studied in members of the last 2 generations, 4 of whom had polyuria. Osmoregulation of vasopressin secretion was assessed by infusion of hypertonic saline. Plasma vasopressin remained undetectable in one patient, while 2 oth...

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood. Its presenting signs and symptoms may be highly variable, depending on the location of the primary tumor and its local or metastatic diffusion and, rarely, with paraneoplastic syndrome such as opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome and gastrointestinal disturbances, due to autoantibodies or to aberrant secretion of vasoactive...

Dr. Katharine Lunn: Over the last 10 years, the typical leptospirosis case that we have seen at the University of Wisconsin is a dog in acute renal failure. Case reports from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Georgia, and Wisconsin all suggest the same: Acute renal failure is now the most commonly reported presentation of canine leptospirosis. These reports document that the clinic...

In aldosterone target tissues, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11βHSD2) is coexpressed with mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and protects the receptor from activation by glucocorticoids. Null mutations in the encoding gene, HSD11B2, cause apparent mineralocorticoid excess, in which hypertension is thought to reflect volume expansion secondary to sodium retention. Hsd11b2(-/-) mice are ...

BACKGROUND Neurosarcoidosis is a rare and aggressive variant of systemic sarcoidosis which may result in hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. We report a case of hypothalamic hypopituitarism secondary to neurosarcoidosis complicated by adipsic diabetes insipidus (ADI). Initiation of anti-tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) therapy resulted in both radiological disease remission and recovery of osmo...

PURPOSE To investigate the short-term safety of antidiuretic hormone in elderly patients with nocturnal polyuria, focus on hyponatremia and others electrolytes disturbances and to assess short-term effects on nocturnal urine output and number of nocturnal voids. METHODS Between June 2005 and August 2006, a total of 34 patients with nocturnal polyuria were orally administered 0.2 mg desmopress...