ABSTRACT
The case is presented of a 78 year old woman with a history of congenital right renal, who suffered from diarrhea of approximately 2 weeks duration and discomfort due to cramp in both legs. The laboratory results showed severe hyperkalemia, hyponatremia, and slightly elevated creatinine levels, with no symptoms associated with this finding and with the rest of the normal laboratory results. She was admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment, and when her results returned to normal she was transferred to internal medicine. Among the other tests performed, the ACTH was shown to be high, and a left adrenal adenoma was found in the MR scan. The final diagnosis was Addison's syndrome. She was treated with mineralocorticoids with follow-up by internal medicine as an outpatient.
Subject(s)
Addison Disease/diagnosis , Diarrhea/etiology , Kidney/pathology , Addison Disease/complications , Addison Disease/drug therapy , Aged , Creatinine/metabolism , Female , Humans , Hyperkalemia/etiology , Hyponatremia/etiology , Mineralocorticoids/therapeutic useABSTRACT
La utilización de la oxcarbazepina como tratamiento anticomicial se ha relacionado con numerosos casos de hiponatremia (sodio [Na] sérico <135mmol/l), tanto en monoterapia como en combinación con diuréticos u otros fármacos. Los mecanismos etiopatogénicos son variados y las causas más promulgadas son la liberación inadecuada y/o una mayor sensibilidad de la vasopresina tubular, así como el incremento de agua y la pérdida secundaria de Na. Presentamos un caso de una mujer de 67 años con una hiponatremia secundaria (Na sérico <120mmol/l) a oxcarbazepina con un cuadro clínico sintomático de hiponatremia que mejoró notablemente ante su retirada y sustitución por levetiracetam. Hacemos una revisión de los casos publicados al respecto, valorando el fármaco, las interacciones y los tratamientos concomitantes. Concluimos haciendo notar la importancia de diferenciar estos cuadros de los etiquetados como «asténicos o depresivos propios de la edad» cuando evaluemos a pacientes geriátricos en atención primaria (AU)
The use of oxcarbazepine as anti-seizure treatments has been related with many cases of hyponatremia (serum sodium <135mmol/l) both in single drug therapy as well as in combination with diuretics or other drugs. The etiopathogenic mechanisms are varied, inadequate release and/or greater sensitivity of tubular vasopressin as well as increased water and secondary loss of sodium being the most expressed one. We present a case of a 67-year old woman with hyponatremia secondary (serum sodium < 120mmol/l) to oxcarbazepine with a symptomatic clinical picture of hyponatremia that significantly improved when it was discontinued and replaced by levetiracetam. We have made a review of the cases published on this, evaluating the drug, interactions and concomitant treatments. We conclude by making note of the importance of differentiating these pictures from those labeled as "asthenic or depressive subjects characteristic of the age" when we evaluate geriatric patients in Primary Health Care (AU)
