DIABETES-INSIPIDUS REVEALING A PITUITARY METASTASIS FROM A LUNG-CANCER

Two cases of diabetes insipidus revealing a pituitary metastasis from a lung cancer are reported. One patient was an 81 year old female with small cell carcinoma of the lung and a large pituitary metastasis. Th e other was a 62 year old male with a history of surgery for epidermoi d lung cancer who had diabetes insipidus antagonized by concomitant co rticotropin deficiency. Endocrine manifestations of pituitary metastas es are infrequent and usually denote invasion of the posterior pituita ry lobe. The primary tumor is usually breast cancer in females and lun g cancer in males. In some patients, concomitant corticotropin deficie ncy masks the diabetes insipidus. Management rests on irradiation to t he pituitary, if needed with systemic chemotherapy and hormone replace ment therapy.