Chonnam Med J.  2011 Aug;47(2):122-123. 10.4068/cmj.2011.47.2.122.

Hyponatremia in a Patient with a Sellar Mass

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. skimw@chonnam.ac.kr

Abstract

A 59-year-old man with confused mental status was admitted to our hospital. Laboratory reports showed him to have severe hyponatremia, and additional studies revealed panhypopituitarism. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a sellar cystic lesion, which consisted of a Rathke cleft cyst. Thus, the mass effect of the Rathke cleft cyst resulted in panhypopituitarism and finally induced euvolemic hyponatremia. On the basis of these results, supplementation with thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid was started, and the patient's serum sodium level was gradually corrected and maintained within the normal range. Here, we report this case of euvolemic hyponatremia caused by a Rathke cleft cyst.

Keyword

Rathke cleft cyst; Hyponatremia; Panhypopituitarism

MeSH Terms

Brain
Humans
Hyponatremia
Hypopituitarism
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Reference Values
Sodium
Thyroid Gland
Sodium

Figure

  • FIG. 1 MRI delineation a dumbell-shaped intrasella and suprasella cyst.

  • FIG. 2 The cause of hyponatremia.


Reference

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Article
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