Polydipsia and Inappropriate Secretion of Antidiuretic Hormone Associated with Hydrocephalus

Excerpt

Hyponatremic seizures and coma associated with acute psychosis were recently reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine (1).

The patient is a 26-year-old white woman with undifferentiated schizophrenia and intermittent compulsive water drinking. Since her prior evaluation documenting episodic inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) (1), the patient has been treated for hyponatremic seizures in at least four hospitals in the western United States and Canada. The patient was admitted to Stanford University Hospital, unresponsive with generalized seizures after drinking a large quantity of water. Urinary incontinence not associated with coma had been noted. There were no localizing neurological signs.