Spectrum of Serum Sodium Disturbances in Patients With Non-sellar/Suprasellar Supratentorial Tumors

Disorders of sodium and water balance are one of the commonly encountered problems while managing patients with neurological diseases. Managing such problems are challenging because the pathophysiology behind these disorders are complex and poorly understood and treatment of the injured brain itself can contribute to, and complicate the diagnosis of sodium disorders. Serum sodium disturbance can manifest as hypernatremia or hyponatremia. Hypernatremia usually occurs in the diabetes insipidus syndrome, whereas hyponatremia develops as a syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) or cerebral salt-wasting syndrome (CSWS). Because of the cerebral effects of hyponatremia, neurosurgical patients are at increased risk of complications including severe cerebral edema, mental status changes, seizures, vasospasm, and death. Though the problem of hyponatremia has been addressed in patients with different brain pathologies, this has not been studied in patients with non-sellar/suprasellar supratentorial tumors. This study was envisioned to quantify the incidence and magnitude of hyponatremia in this patient population and their subsequent neurological morbidity and mortality.