Minirin for the sublingual application to manage diabetes insipidus in the patients treated for brain tumours

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of desmopressin (standard oral and sublingual minirin tablets) and patient compliance with these two therapeutic modalities. The study included 51 patients at the age from 1 to 23 years presenting with diabetes insipidus (DI) at least 6 months in duration who had undergone the surgical treatment of craniopharyngioma (n=25), germinoma (n=21, glioma (n=3), and pituitary adenoma (n=2). The patients were transferred from the oral minirin formulation to the sublingual one (the dose of 100 mcg of oral minirin is equivalent to a 60 mcg sublingual tablet). The patients were interviewed to estimate their preference as regards either therapeutic modality within one week after the onset of the treatment. It turned out after the completion of the study that 30 of the 51 patients (59%) adhered to the new sublingual formulation of minirin. Their preferences were unrelated to the age of the patients, diagnosis, and duration of the disease but significantly correlated with a single dose of the preparation. Specifically, the single dose was lower than 1 tablet in 71% of the patients who chose to use oral minirin. No adverse reactions in response to the treatment with sublingual minirin were documented.