[Water intoxication and brain edema in psychogenic polydipsia (author's transl)].

A case of psychogenic polydipsia is presented that showed psychic decompensation and compulsive drinking under the acute stress of an imminent operation for ovarian cyst. Without any indication of an underlying organic disease process the patient developed acute water intoxication due to the uncontrolled intake of water from the tap, this caused hyponatremia, brain edema, coma and status epilepticus. The physiology of water intoxication is reviewed in relation to this case, which is also remarkable for the acute onset and the shortness of the polydipsic state.