Extreme Polyuria in Obstructive Uropathy

IN 1954 Roussak and Oleesky1 described 2 patients with renal disease who exhibited a syndrome simulating diabetes insipidus, which the authors called "water-losing nephritis." One of these patients had multiple myeloma; the other had carcinoma of the prostate with secondary hydroureters and hydronephrosis. Before the onset of azotemia, albuminuria or other signs of renal insufficiency, both patients exhibited striking polydipsia, polyuria and hyposthenuria‡ that were unresponsive to thirst or to exogenous vasopressin. Neither gave a history or diagnostic evidence of any extrarenal disease that might account for the polyuria. The patient with myelomatosis eventually died in renal failure, but, after . . .