Causes may depend on the type of
diabetes insipidus that a person has:
- central diabetes insipidus - cause is usually damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, most commonly due to surgery, a tumor, illness, inflammation or a head injury.
- nephrogenic diabetes insipidus - may occur when there is a defect in the kidneys tubules, the structures that cause water to be excreted or reabsorbed. The defect may be due to an genetic disorder or a chronic kidney disorder.
- gestational diabetes insipidus - occurs only during pregnancy and when an enzyme made by the placenta and other tissue that allows the exchange of nutrients and waste products between a mother and her baby.