Prolonged cerebral salt wasting following craniopharyngioma surgery and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: a case report]

A 9-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital with daytime urinary incontinence for the past one year. MRI showed craniopharyngioma occupying the third ventricle. The tumor was excised by interhemispheric approach. Because hyponatremia and polyuria with high renal loss of sodium were observed on postoperative day 3, hydrocortisone and DDAVP were replaced. On postoperative day 24, successive general convulsions and hyponatremia recurred, and MRI FLAIR imaging showed marked brain edema in the bilateral parieto-occipital lobes. This finding disappeared late in the course of treatment, and the case was diagnosed as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. The pathophysiology of cerebral salt wasting and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a craniopharyngioma patient are also discussed in the article.