GLYCOSURIA

GLYCOSURIA: Excerpt from Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care

The finding of glycosuria should prompt one to consider first the conditions that are associated with faulty regulation of the blood sugar and sugar metabolism. First and foremost on that list is diabetes mellitus. However, the differential must include many other endocrine disorders; focusing on the endocrine glands will prompt recall of most of these. Visualizing the pituitary will prompt recall of acromegaly, visualizing the adrenal gland will remind one of Cushing syndrome and pheochromocytoma, and visualizing the thyroid will prompt recall of hyperthyroidism. Finally, visualizing the pancreas will remind one of diabetes mellitus and glucagonoma.

GLYCOSURIA

The clinician should be careful not to forget renal glycosuria (idiopathic or Fanconi syndrome) and starvation in the differential.

Approach to the Diagnosis

The investigation of glycosuria should include a glucose tolerance test, chemistry panel, and electrolyte panel. A clinical history of polyuria, polyphagia, weakness, and weight loss will be helpful. If there are clinical features of one of the endocrine diseases listed above, various tests for these disorders and an endocrinology consult should be ordered.

Other Useful Tests

1. Free T4 (hyperthyroidism)
2. T3 assay (hyperthyroidism)
3. RAI uptake and scan (thyroid adenoma)
4. Plasma cortisol (Cushing syndrome)
5. Overnight dexamethasone suppression test (Cushing syndrome)
6. Serum growth hormone (acromegaly)
7. Twenty-four–hour urine for catecholamine, VMA, or metanephrine (pheochromocytoma)
8. Skull x-ray (pituitary adenoma)
9. CT scan of the brain (acromegaly)
10. CT scan of the abdomen (pancreatic neoplasm, glucogenoma)

Book Source Details

• Book Title: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care
• Author(s): R. Douglas Collins
• Year of Publication: 2007
• Copyright Details: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care, Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

More About Gestational diabetes

• Back to disease: Gestational diabetes: Introduction
• Next Book Extract About Gestational diabetes: HYPERGLYCEMIA (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
• More Book Extracts: All Online Books for Gestational diabetes

More Medical Textbooks Online about Gestational diabetes

Review other book chapters online related to Gestational diabetes:

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

More About This Book: Title: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care Authors: R. Douglas Collins Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Copyright: 2007 ISBN: 0-7817-6812-8

 » Next page: HYPERGLYCEMIA (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)

Rate This Website

What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:

Website User Survey

Medical Tools & Articles:

Next articles:

• HYPERGLYCEMIA (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
• POLYDIPSIA (Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care)
• Polydipsia (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• Diabetes Insipidus (A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis)
• Hyperglycemia (A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis)

Tools & Services:

• Bookmark this page
• Symptom Search
• Symptom Checker
• Medical Dictionary
• Give your feedback

Medical Articles:

• Disease & Treatments Search
• Misdiagnosis Center
• Full list of interesting articles

Forums & Message Boards

• Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
• I cannot get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for my condition?
• See all the Boards.

Enter your search terms Submit search form
Search The Web Search wrongdiagnosis.com

Common Health Mistakes

Symptom
Checker

Search Specialists by State and City