Cerebral salt-wasting syndrome

Cerebral salt-wasting syndrome (CSWS) is a rare endocrine condition featuring a low blood sodium concentration and dehydration in response to trauma/injury or the presence of tumors in or surrounding the brain. This form of low blood sodium is due to excessive sodium excretion from the normally functioning kidney due to a disorder of the cerebrum of the brain. The condition was initially described in 1950. Half a century later aetiology and management of CSWS remains controversial. One problem being that there is no diagnostic test for CSWS.