Diabetes Insipidus Disease Summary

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a disease characterized by excretion of a large volume of hypotonic urine and is caused by the absence of or inadequate response to vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone.
Signs and symptoms in adults include polyuria, polydipsia, nocturia, hydronephrosis, bladder enlargement, highly variable urine output, and predilection for drinking cold liquids.
The diagnosis of DI requires osmotic stimulation of arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion and measuring the adequacy of AVP secretion by either direct measurement of plasma AVP levels or indirect assessment of urine osmolality.
The choice of therapy depends on the severity of polyuria.

For further information regarding the management of Diabetes Insipidus, please refer to Disease Algorithm for the Treatment Guideline.