Twenty patients (15 males), 5 to 20 years of age, with central diabetes insipidus (DI) were studied in order to evaluate efficacy, safety and adverse effects of oral desmopressin (DDAVP) treatment. Basal levels of plasma vasopressin were between 1.5 and 6.0 pg/ml. Evaluation was performed in two periods: during hospitalization (I) and ambulatory (A). Period I: Nineteen patients discontinued previous intranasal DDAVP treatment for a period equal or > to 24 hs. One patient had never been treated before. Water intake and diuresis, and plasma and urinary osmolality were measured before and during treatment. On the second day oral DDAVP was given, starting with 0.1 mg. Dose was gradually increased until a normal diuresis was attained. Period A: in 11 patients long-term (3 months) effect of treatment was evaluated. Results: Values are given in median and range. Table

Table 1
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