SPONTANEOUS REMISSION OF DIABETES MELLITUS: "THE HOUSSAY PHENOMENA IN MAN"
Authors: M E LEVIN
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1954)

Case Reports1 June 1954SPONTANEOUS REMISSION OF DIABETES MELLITUS: "THE HOUSSAY PHENOMENA IN MAN"MARVIN E. LEVIN, M.D.MARVIN E. LEVIN, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-40-6-1230 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe spontaneous remission of diabetes mellitus is an uncommon occurrence. Glassberg1 has discussed the questionable "cures" of diabetes mellitus. He called particular attention to "cures" in obese diabetics following weight reduction, and noted remission of diabetes following treatment of thyrotoxicosis, development of cirrhosis of the liver, acromegaly following treatment, and of one case in which new islet cells were believed to have been formed.2One other situation in which diabetes mellitus appears to be "cured" is following the development of hypopituitarism. Houssay3clearly showed this pancreatic-pituitary relationship when he was able to alleviate the diabetes in pancreatectomized dogs by hypophysectomy....Bibliography1. Glassberg BY: Cured diabetes? J. Missouri M. A. 35: 128, 1938. Google Scholar2. BoydRobinson GLWL: Evidence of regeneration of pancreas in insulin treated case of diabetes, Am. J. Path. 1: 135, 1925. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. HoussayBiasotti BAA: La diabetes pancreatica de los perros hipofisopricos, Rev. Soc. argent. de biol. 6: 251, 1930. Google Scholar4. BalfourSprague WMRG: Association of diabetes mellitus and disorders of the anterior pituitary, Am. J. Med. 7: 596-608, 1949. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. LyallInnes AJA: Diabetes mellitus and the pituitary gland, Lancet 1: 318-321, 1935. CrossrefGoogle Scholar6. KotteVonderahe JHAR: The Houssay phenomena in man, J. A. M. A. 114: 590-593, 1940. Google Scholar7. FeldmanRobertsSusselmanLipetz FJBSB: Coincidence of diabetes mellitus and hypopituitarism, Arch. Int. Med. 77: 322-332, 1947. CrossrefGoogle Scholar8. MarzulloHandelsman ERMB: Pituitary necrosis and diabetes mellitus, J. Clin. Endocrinol. 11: 537-547, 1951. CrossrefGoogle Scholar9. VandenbroeckFerin JJ: L'influence de l'insuffisance hypophysaire sur le cours du diabete pancreatique. Une observation humaine. Les effects de la gonadotrophine serique d'origine equine chez la femme, Ann. d'endocrinol. 8: 366, 1947. Google Scholar10. IsraelConston SLAS: Unrecognized pituitary necrosis (Sheehan's syndrome), J. A. M. A. 148: 189-193, 1952. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Williams FW: Pituitary necrosis in a diabetic during pregnancy, Diabetes 1: 37-40 (Jan.-Feb.) 1952. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. Poulsen JE: Recovery from retinopathy in a case of diabetes with Simmonds' disease, Diabetes 2: 7-12 (Jan.-Feb.) 1952. CrossrefGoogle Scholar13. Sheehan HL: Simmonds' disease due to postpartum necrosis of the anterior pituitary, Quart. J. Med. 8: 277-309, 1938. Google Scholar14. FraserAlbrightSmith RFH: The value of glucose tolerance test, the insulin tolerance test, and the glucose insulin tolerance test in the diagnosis of endocrine disorders of glucose metabolism, J. Clin. Endocrinol. 1: 297-356, 1941. CrossrefGoogle Scholar15. PerkinsRynearson RFEH: Practical aspects of insufficiency of the anterior pituitary gland in the adult, J. Clin. Endocrinol. 12: 574-603, 1952. CrossrefGoogle Scholar16. Gorbman AL: Ultrafiltration of urine for collection and biological assay of excreted hypophyseal hormones, Endocrinology 37: 177-190, 1945. CrossrefGoogle Scholar17. KeplerPowerRobinson EJMHFJ: Diagnosis value of certain studies of renal function in cases of Addison's disease, J. A. M. A. 118: 1404, 1942. Google Scholar18. Gaunt R: The interrelationship between the adrenal cortex, posterior pituitary and anterior pituitary in water metabolism, Ciba Foundation Colloquia on Endocrinology 4: 455, 1952, The Blakiston Co., New York. CrossrefGoogle Scholar19. Harris GW: Neural control of the pituitary gland: II. The adenohypophysis with special reference to the secretion of ACTH, Brit. M. J. 2: 627-634, 1951. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: St. Louis, Missouri*Received for publication September 29, 1953.From the Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byDer experimentelle DiabetesAntepartum Pituitary Insufficiency in Diabetes MellitusDON S. SCHALCH, M.D., S. ZANE BURDAY, M.D. 1 June 1954Volume 40, Issue 6Page: 1230-1234KeywordsAcromegalyCellsCirrhosisDiabetes mellitusHospital medicineLiverOverweightWeight loss Issue Published: 1 June 1954 PDF downloadLoading ...