[Diabetic ketoacidosis--beware of cerebral edema!]

Ketoacidosis is a common condition in patients with new onset type 1 diabetes and remains a major reason for hospitalization of those with established disease. The major cause of mortality in ketoacidosis is cerebral edema. Although rarely diagnosed on a clinical basis, cerebral edema may have subtle manifestations and is probably under-diagnosed. Novel insights into the underlying pathophysiology of cerebral edema associated with ketoacidosis may help us treat this life threatening condition and prevent the low, yet significant, mortality associated with it.