Treatment with various forms of desmopressin in a patient with apparently non-idiopathic diabetes insipidus

Abstract

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a rare syndrome characterized by an excretion of abnormally large volumes of diluted urine and a corresponding increase in fluid intake. In the absence of treatment, patients with this disease experience significant difficulties due to the constant need to visit the toilet for urination and persistent thirst. Desmopressin, a synthetic analogue of the antidiuretic hormone, has been the treatment of choice for the central form of DI for many decades. Just like with any other hormone replacement therapies, the more accurately the dose is chosen for a particular patient, the better and safer the expected clinical response. In this article, we present a clinical case that demonstrates the clinical difficulties encountered in the treatment of a patient with central DI.