SUNScholar - Browsing by Author "Sheik, Muhammed"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Hypodipsic-hypernatremia syndrome in an adult with polycythemia : a case report
(BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2018-12-27) Chothia, Mogamat-Yazied; George, Kiran; Sheik, Muhammed; Davids, Mogamat Razeen
Background: Hypernatremia is a very common electrolyte disorder and is frequently encountered in out-patient as well as in-hospital settings. We describe an adult who was found to have unexplained relative polycythemia and episodic hypernatremia. A diagnosis of idiopathic hypodipsic-hypernatremia syndrome was made and the patient was managed with a water-drinking schedule. Case presentation: A 24-year-old South African-Indian man was found to have polycythemia in association with episodes of hypernatremia. Investigations indicated that he had relative polycythemia. He experienced no thirst at a time when his serum sodium concentration was found to be 151 mmol/L. Further testing indicated that his renal response to arginine vasopressin was intact and magnetic resonance imaging of his brain revealed no hypothalamic lesions. A diagnosis of idiopathic hypodipsic-hypernatremia syndrome was made and he was managed with a water-drinking schedule that corrected his hypernatremia. Conclusion: Hypodipsia should always be considered when a patient without physical or cognitive disability presents with unexplained episodic hypernatremia or with relative polycythemia.