Diabetes insipidus: another cause of hormonal hyperthermia

Diabetes insipidus is not generally recognized as a possible cause of etiologically obscure fever. We describe a female patient who presented with fever and polyuria and was shown to have idiopathic partial neurogenic diabetes insipidus. The fever was subsequently demonstrated to be caused by diabetes insipidus per se. The mechanism for the production of fever in this patient was most likely a defect in peripheral heat dissipation secondary to inadequate hydration. We conclude that diabetes insipidus is another cause of hormonal hyperthermia and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of etiologically obscure fever.