Copeptin as a Diagnostic Marker in the Management of Neurosurgical Patients With Disturbance of Water Homeostasis
Copeptin as a Diagnostic Marker in the Management of Neurosurgical Patients With Disturbance of Water Homeostasis
Water imbalance and consecutive electrolyte disturbances are common in the postoperative
 course of neurosurgical patients after pituitary surgery. Diabetes insipidus (DI) may
 complicate the postoperative course in as many as 30% of patients. Early and accurate
 diagnosis of water and electrolyte disturbances postoperatively is important for an adequate
 fluid and drug administration. However, identifying the causes is challenging/ ambiguous in
 clinical practice. Levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) might contribute to a straightforward
 diagnosis, though, its measurement is cumbersome. ADH is derived from a larger precursor
 peptide along with copeptin, which is a more stable peptide directly mirroring the production
 of ADH. Copeptin can be assayed readily in plasma. Aim: To investigate whether copeptin can
 accurately diagnose postoperative disturbances of water homeostasis (i.e. Diabetes insipidus
 and SIADH) in a cohort of patients undergoing intracranial tumor surgery.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  All consecutive patients who undergo surgery for an intra- or suprasellar lesion,
 either by craniotomy or by transphenoidal resection.