Glossary

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D

• DDAVP: a generic name for desmopressin acetate (Stimate®). Used in treating diabetes insipidus (DI), a temporary or permanent condition characterized by the production of excessive and dilute urine which results from damage to the posterior pituitary gland or the pituitary stalk. DDAVP may be given as a nasal spray, tablets or injection. Learn more.
• Decadron (Dexamethasone): a potent synthetic glucocorticoid hormone and in the same class of hormones as the naturally produced cortisol. It is an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant. Its potency is about 40 times that of hydrocortisone (another glucocorticoid). In patients with brain tumors (primary or metastatic) and brain edema (swelling), dexamethasone is often used to counteract the swelling. Its side effects include elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia), hypertension, increased risk of infections and poor wound healing.
• Dexamethasone Suppression Test: to diagnose and differentiate among the various types of Cushing's syndrome and other hyper-cortisolemic states. Learn more.
• Diabetes Insipidus (DI): a condition of excessive and dilute urination resulting from lack of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). Such patients have excessive thirst and can become rapidly dehydrated unless they are adequately hydrated or the ADH is replaced by administering DDAVP. DI results from damage to the pituitary stalk, posterior pituitary gland or hypothalamus. Learn more.
• Diabetes Mellitus: a metabolic disorder that arises with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) resulting from low levels of the hormone insulin or resistance to insulin's effects. Common symptoms of diabetes mellitus are similar to that of diabetes insipidus (DI), frequent urination and pronounced thirst; however, they are not related disorders.
• Diplopia: double vision which in the case of skull base or brain tumors typically results from pressure or damage to cranial nerves III, IV or VI (oculomotor, trochlear or abducens) as they travel from the brainstem through the cavernous sinus and to the orbit.
• Dostinex® (Cabergoline): the trade name for cabergoline, a long-acting dopamine agonist medication and the treatment of choice for most patients with a prolactinoma. Learn more.
• Dura: from the Latin "hard mother"; the tough but flexible outermost of the three layers of the meninges surrounding the brain, pituitary gland and spinal cord. (The other two meningeal layers are the pia mater and the arachnoid.) The dura is routinely opened and closed during neurosurgical procedures. An inadequate closure can result in a cerebrospinal fluid leak and possible meningitis.