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Deficiencia o resistencia a la arginina vasopresina (Diabetes insípida)

Last reviewed: 11 Aug 2025
Last updated: 12 Mar 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • antecedentes de enfermedad hipofisaria/hipotalámica
  • antecedentes familiares/mutaciones genéticas
  • antecedentes de terapia con litio (o determinados otros medicamentos)
  • antecedentes de enfermedad autoinmunitaria
  • poliuria
  • aumento de la sed/polidipsia
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • nicturia
  • signos de hipovolemia
  • síntomas inespecíficos del sistema nervioso central de la hipernatremia
  • defectos en el campo visual
  • signos endocrinos
  • déficits motores focales
  • sordera neurosensorial y déficit de visión
  • lesiones cutáneas
Full details

Risk factors

  • cirugía de la hipófisis
  • craneofaringioma
  • lesiones del tallo hipofisario
  • traumatismo craneoencefálico
  • anomalías hipofisarias congénitas
  • uso de determinados fármacos
  • hipofisitis
  • enfermedad autoinmune
  • antecedentes familiares/mutaciones genéticas
  • embarazo
  • hemorragia subaracnoidea
  • sarcoidosis renal
  • amiloidosis renal
  • hipercalcemia o hipopotasemia
  • resolución de una uropatía obstructiva
  • infecciones previas de sistema nervioso central
Full details

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • osmolalidad de la orina
  • osmolalidad sérica
  • glucosa sérica
  • sodio sérico
  • potasio sérico
  • nitrógeno ureico sérico
  • calcio sérico
  • tira reactiva de orina
  • recolección de orina de 24 horas para medición del volumen
  • prueba de privación de agua
  • Prueba de estimulación con AVP (desmopresina)
  • prueba de estimulación salina hipertónica con medición de la copeptina
Full details

Investigations to consider

  • IRM de la hipófisis (con contraste)
  • pruebas genéticas
  • autoanticuerpos anti-peroxidasa tiroidea
  • alfafetoproteína del suero y del líquido cefalorraquídeo y beta gonadotropina coriónica humana
  • hormona de crecimiento en suero (GH)
  • factor de crecimiento insulínico tipo 1 en suero (IGF-1)
  • pruebas de provocación de la hormona del crecimiento (GH)
  • LH en suero
  • hormona foliculoestimulante en suero
  • testosterona sérica por la mañana
  • la hormona estimulante de la tiroides en suero y la triyodotironina/tiroxina (T3/T4)
  • cortisol sérico matutino y la hormona adrenocorticotrófica (ACTH)
  • prueba de estimulación con tetracosactida
  • prolactina sérica
Full details

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

hipernatremia en cualquier etapa

ACUTE

deficiencia aguda de arginina vasopresina (AVP-D)

ONGOING

deficiencia aguda de arginina vasopresina (AVP-D)

resistencia a la arginina vasopresina (AVP-R)

Contributors

Authors

Miles Levy MBBS, MD, FRCP,

Consultant Endocrinologist

University Hospitals of Leicester

Hon. Associate Professor at Leicester University

Leicester

UK

Disclosures

Mark Sherlock MB, MRCPI, MD, PhD,

Consultant Endocrinologist

Beaumont Hospital

Professor of Medicine

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Dublin

Ireland

Disclosures

MS has received consultancy fees for Ferring (manufacturers of desmopressin).

Acknowledgements

Professor Miles Levy and Professor Mark Sherlock wish to gratefully acknowledge Professor Stephen Ball, a previous contributor to this topic.

Disclosures

SB declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Janet Amico, MD

Professor of Medicine

Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Pittsburgh

PA

Disclosures

At the time of peer review, JA received research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and the Department of Defense. We were made aware that Professor Amico is now deceased.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Christ-Crain M, Bichet DG, Fenske WK, et al. Diabetes insipidus. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019 Aug 8;5(1):54. Abstract

Garrahy A, Moran C, Thompson CJ. Diagnosis and management of central diabetes insipidus in adults. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2019 Jan;90(1):23-30.Full text  Abstract

Kavanagh C, Uy NS. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2019 Feb;66(1):227-34. Abstract

Bockenhauer D, Bichet DG. Pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2015 Oct;11(10):576-88. Abstract

Knepper MA, Kwon TH, Nielsen S. Molecular physiology of water balance. N Engl J Med. 2015 Apr 2;372(14):1349-58. Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
  • Differentials

    • Polidipsia psicógena
    • Diabetes mellitus
    • Uso diurético
    More Differentials
  • Guidelines

    • Diabetes insipidus
    • Inpatient management of cranial diabetes insipidus
    More Guidelines
  • Patient information

    Diabetes insípida

    More Patient information
  • Calculators

    Estimador de osmolalidad (suero)

    More Calculators
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