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| Copyright © 2003 The Diabetes Insipidus Foundation, Inc. | |
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The most common type of DI is caused by a lack of
vasopressin, a hormone that normally acts upon the kidney to reduce
urine output by increasing the concentration of the urine. This
type of DI is usually due to the destruction of the back or
"posterior" part of the pituitary gland where vasopressin is
normally produced. Hence, it is commonly called pituitary
DI. It is also known as central or
neurogenic DI. The posterior pituitary can be
destroyed by a variety of underlying diseases including tumors,
infections, head injuries, infiltrations, and various inheritable
defects. The latter can be recognized by the onset of the DI in
early childhood and a family history of parents, siblings or other
relatives with the same disorder. Nearly half the time, however,
pituitary DI is "idiopathic" (that is, no cause can be found
despite a thorough search including magnetic resonance imaging or MRI of
the brain) and the underlying cause(s) is (are) still unknown.
Pituitary DI is usually permanent and cannot be cured but the signs and
symptoms (i.e. constant thirst, drinking and urination) can be largely
or completely eliminated by treatment with various drugs including a
modified from of vasopressin known as desmopressin or DDAVP.
Because pituitary DI is sometimes associated with abnormalities in other
pituitary hormones, tests and sometimes treatments for these other
abnormalities are also needed.
Return to 4 Types of DI to read personal stories and articles about DI. Some of the information is common to all 4 types of DI, others are particular to a specific type of DI. |