Ectopic ADH secretion

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Ectopic ADH secretion

Definition:

ADH is anti-diuretic hormone produced naturally by the hypothalmus and released by the pituitary gland. An anti-diuretic reduces the amount of water your body eliminates.

Ectopic ADH secretion is the release of ADH from an abnormal location within the body. (Ectopic means "unnatural.") The abnormal release of the hormone cecreases the body's ability to eliminate water, causing fluid to build-up in the body. Hyponatremia (low sodium in your blood) can result.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The most common cause of ectopic ADH secretion is cancer. See also syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH) and the ADH test.

References:

Lin M, Liu SJ, Lim, IT. Disorders of Water Imbalance. Emerg Med Clin North Am - 2005 Aug; 23(3); 749-770.

Review Date: 8/1/2005
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. editorial and Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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