Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency Research Articles

Insulin-induced copeptin response in children and adolescents to diagnose arginine vasopressin deficiency.

The diagnosis of arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVD, formerly central diabetes insipidus) remains a challenge. In recent years, stimulated copeptin has emerged as a promising tool to diagnose AVD. In this single centre retrospective study, we identified paediatric patients with suspected pituitary insufficiency who underwent standard insulin tolerance testing (ITT) previously. Patients with AVD and non-matched controls without polyuria-polydipsia syndrome were identified. Diagnosis of AVD was confirmed retrospectively using comprehensive clinical and diagnostic characteristics. Serum copeptin concentrations were measured using a commercially available automated immunofluorescence assay (B.R.A.H.M.S Copeptin-proAVP KRYPTOR®) in -20°C stored samples collected before and 30, 45 and 60 minutes after insulin injection. Cut-off analyses were performed using ROC curves. 25 patients with AVD and 43 non-matched controls were available for analysis. Median basal copeptin concentrations of 1.51 pmol/l (IQR: 0.91-1.95; serum osmolarity: 288.5 mmol/l (IQR: 282.3-293.5) increased at a median of 30 minutes to a maximum of 1.95 pmol/l (IQR: 1.31-2.39) in AVD patients (p=0.113), and from 4.41 pmol/l (IQR: 3.36-6.68; serum osmolarity: 281.0 mmol/l (IQR: 274.0-286.0, p<0.001) to a maximum of 8.39 pmol/l (IQR: 4.95-19.72) (p<0.001) in controls. ROC analysis resulted in a cut-off of 3.0 pmol/l for maximum copeptin (91.7 % sensitivity, 94.1 % specificity) for the diagnosis of AVD. Our results suggest that insulin-stimulated serum copeptin concentrations are a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for AVD in paediatric patients, which allows us to test multiple pituitary hormone axes simultaneously in a single test.

Desmopressin dose requirements in patients with permanent arginine vasopressin deficiency: a tertiary center experience.

The desmopressin daily dose requirement is highly variable among patients with arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency (i.e. central diabetes insipidus) and few studies to date have evaluated this topic, with often inconclusive results. The aim of our study was to identify clinical and biochemical predictors of such dose requirements in a cohort of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of permanent AVP deficiency who have good and stable control under substitutive treatment. We retrospectively analyzed data of all patients with permanent AVP deficiency undergoing regular follow-up at our Division. Inclusion criteria were the presence of stable disease under therapy for at least 12months and in good biochemical and clinical control. Patients with AVP deficiency who lacked intact thirst or had a disease duration of less than 12months were excluded from the analysis. Out of the 132 patients initially screened, 96 patients (M/F 44/52; age 51 [37-63] years) met the inclusion criteria. Patients on nasal spray therapy (n = 8) had a significantly longer disease duration (p = 0.002) than patients treated with oral lyophilizate (n = 88). In the bivariate analysis, considering only patients treated with the sublingual formulation, the drug dose was correlated positively with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and weight (r = 0.410, p < 0.001; r = 0.224, p = 0.036, respectively) and negatively with age (r = - 0.433, p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression analysis taking into account age, weight, and eGFR, only age emerged as a significant predictor of the required sublingual desmopressin dose (β = - 1.426, p = 0.044). Our data suggest that patient age appears to be the primary factor associated with the daily sublingual desmopressin dose required to achieve adequate clinical and biochemical control in patients with permanent AVP deficiency.

Arginine vasopressin deficiency onset after COVID-19 vaccination with positive anti-rabphilin-3A antibodies: a case report and literature review

BackgroundArginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) can occur due to various conditions, so clarifying its cause is important for deciding treatment strategy. Although several cases of AVP-D following coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) infection or COVID-19 vaccination have been reported, the diagnosis of the underlying disease has not been reported in most cases.Case presentationA 75-year-old woman who presented with polydipsia and polyuria 9 weeks after contracting COVID-19 and 5 weeks after receiving the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, leading to the final diagnosis of AVP-D 8 months after the first appearance of symptoms. Interestingly, pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) still revealed stalk enlargement frequently observed in patients with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-induced AVP-D. Although this finding could not rule out any malignancies, we additionally measured anti-rabphilin-3A antibodies, a known marker for lymphocytic infundibulo-neurohypophysitis (LINH), and found that the results were positive, strongly suggesting LINH as the cause of this disease. Thus, we avoided pituitary biopsy. At the follow-up MRI conducted 12 months after the initial consultation, enlargement of the pituitary stalk was still observed.ConclusionWe experienced a case with LINH probably induced by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. In SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-related LINH, unlike typical LINH, there is a possibility of persistent pituitary stalk enlargement on MRI images for an extended period, posing challenges in differential diagnosis from other conditions. Pituitary stalk enlargement and positive anti-rabphilin-3A antibodies may help in the diagnosis of AVP-D induced by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Transient Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency Induced by Valproic Acid Intoxication: A Case Report

Transient Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency Induced by Valproic Acid Intoxication: A Case Report

A Toluene-induced Infundibulo-neurohypophysitis: A New Cause of Hypophysitis Secondary to Toxic Exposure.

Hypophysitis is a rare inflammatory disorder of the pituitary gland. Symptoms and signs of hypophysitis can be various, and its recognition may be challenging. Arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) due to exposure to a variety of drugs and toxic substances is rare, but some cases have been reported. Only 2 cases of AVP-D following toxic exposure to toluene, an aromatic hydrocarbon, have been reported in the literature. To our knowledge, our case represents the first description of an infundibulo neurohypophysitis (INH), manifested with AVP-D, secondary to inhalation of toluene. A 59-year-old man with an unremarkable medical history was referred to our department for headache, polyuria, and polydipsia after the inhalation of spray film containing toluene. The blood tests revealed a hyperosmolar plasma hypernatremia with normal kidney function. A desmopressin test was performed, with an improvement in water balances, blood electrolytes, and diuresis contraction. A pituitary MRI detected the absence of a normal hyperintense signal of the neuro-pituitary in the T1-weighted images. In consideration of the clinical signs and radiological imaging suggestive of INH, a therapy with desmopressin and corticosteroids was instituted, with gradual improvement of polyuria and resolution of the radiological features of INH. The exceptional finding of INH, manifested with AVP-D, following toluene inhalation could represent a new secondary cause of hypophysitis. The possibility that drugs or toxic substances never reported before could induce INH should not be excluded since the study on hypophysitis is relatively recent but emerging, predictably destined to increase exponentially in the coming years.

Autoimmunity related to anti-Nax and anti-ZSCAN1 autoantibodies in adipsic hypernatremia.

"Adipsic hypernatremia" is clinically characterized by chronic elevation of plasma [Na+] with an inappropriate lack of thirst and upward resetting of the osmotic set point for arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion, combined with a relative deficiency of AVP, thereby resulting in persistent hypernatremia. Many cases are accompanied by structural lesions in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and circumventricular organs (CVOs). On the other hand, cases without structural lesions have been reported since the 1970s, but the pathophysiology was unknown for a long time. In 2010, Hiyama et al. reported that an anti-Nax antibody response caused adipsic hypernatremia in a pediatric case with ganglioblastoma. In recent years, advances in clinical research have led researchers to recognize that an autoimmunological pathogenic mechanism might be associated with periventricular organs such as the subfornical organ (SFO). In addition, in pediatric cases diagnosed as ROHHAD (rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic dysfunction, autonomic dysregulation) syndrome, it has been reported that half of the cases have abnormal serum Na levels, and some research findings indicated an autoimmune mechanism acting on the organs of the hypothalamus and CVOs. Then, anti-ZSCAN1 antibody response was detected in cases diagnosed as ROHHAD-NET in 2022. In this review, by summarizing a series of studies on Nax and ZSCAN1, which are expressed in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and SFO, I would like to describe the current findings of the autoimmune pathogenesis of adipsic hypernatremia.

Plasma oxytocin levels in response to glucagon in patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (central diabetes insipidus) and healthy controls.

We recently demonstrated an additional oxytocin (OT) deficiency in patients with arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency (central diabetes insipidus) by using 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) as a novel provocation test. However, the implication of the MDMA provocation test in clinical practice might be challenging. Glucagon effectively stimulates vasopressinergic neurons with a strong increase in plasma copeptin. We therefore hypothesized that this provocation test might also stimulate OT. This is a predefined secondary analysis of a prospective double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled cross-over trial involving ten patients with AVP deficiency and ten sex- and body-mass index-matched healthy participants at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. Each participant underwent the glucagon test (s.c. injection of 1 mg glucagon) and placebo test (s.c. injection of 0.9% normal saline). Plasma OT levels were measured at baseline, 60, 120 and 180 min after injection. The primary objective was to determine whether glucagon stimulates OT and whether OT levels differ between patients with AVP deficiency and healthy participants. The primary outcome (maximum change in OT within 180 min) was compared between groups and conditions using a linear mixed effects model. In healthy participants, the median OT at baseline was 82.7 pg/ml [62.3-94.3] and slightly increased to a maximum of 93.3 pg/ml [87.2-121.1] after injection of glucagon, resulting in a change increase of 24.9 pg/ml [5.1-27.8]. Similarly, in patients with AVP deficiency, the median OT at baseline was 73.9 pg/ml [65.3-81.6] and slightly increased after glucagon injection to 114.9 pg/ml [70.9-140.9], resulting in a change increase of 36.8 pg/ml [-2.2 to 51.2]. The results from the mixed model showed no effect between glucagon compared to placebo on OT (difference: -0.5 pg/ml; 95%-CI [-25, 24]; p = 0.97) and no significant treatment-by-group interaction effect between patients compared to healthy participants (interaction: 28 pg/ml; 95%-CI [-7, 62]; p = 0.13). We found no effect of glucagon on plasma OT levels and no difference between patients with AVP deficiency and healthy participants.

Effect of delayed diagnosis on neuroendocrine function in individuals with suprasellar germ cell tumors.

The impact of delayed diagnosis on tumor-related prognosis appears to be minimal in individuals with intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCTs). However, its effect on neuroendocrine functions remains unclear. We aimed to assess the effects of delayed diagnosis on neuroendocrine function in individuals with suprasellar GCTs. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 459 individuals with suprasellar GCTs and categorized them into two groups based on disease duration: delayed diagnosis (> 6 months) and non-delayed diagnosis (≤ 6 months). We compared endocrinological symptoms, neuroendocrine dysfunction and its grading (categorized into 0-3 grades based on severity), and recovery from neuroendocrine dysfunction in both groups. Patients with delayed diagnosis exhibited higher incidences of amenorrhea, slow growth, fatigue, and polyuria/polydipsia. Neuroendocrine dysfunction, including central adrenal insufficiency (CAI), central hypothyroidism (CHT), arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D), growth hormone deficiency, hypogonadism, and hyperprolactinemia, was more pronounced in the delayed diagnosis group at diagnosis, the end of treatment, and the last follow-up. Furthermore, individuals with delayed diagnosis showed higher grades of neuroendocrine dysfunction at diagnosis (OR=3.005, 95% CI 1.929-4.845, p<0.001), end of oncologic treatment (OR=4.802, 95% CI 2.878-8.004, p<0.001), and last follow-up(OR=2.335, 95% CI 1.307-4.170, p=0.005) after adjusting for confounders. Finally, less recovery, particularly in CAI, CHT, and AVP-D, was seen among the group with delayed diagnosis after treatment. Among individuals with suprasellar GCTs, delayed diagnosis is associated with increased, more severe, and less recovered neuroendocrine dysfunction, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to reduce neuroendocrine dysfunction.

A case of suprasellar mass with arginine vasopressin deficiency: when necessary acute steroid use serendipitously aids differential diagnoses

A case of suprasellar mass with arginine vasopressin deficiency: when necessary acute steroid use serendipitously aids differential diagnoses

Autoimmune hypothalamitis and hypophysitis due to SLE manifesting as arginine vasopressin deficiency and hypothalamic hyperphagia

Autoimmune hypothalamitis and hypophysitis due to SLE manifesting as arginine vasopressin deficiency and hypothalamic hyperphagia

A case of arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) due to lymphocytic hypophysitis

A case of arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) due to lymphocytic hypophysitis

#1636 Treatment of Tolvaptan related polyuria with bendroflumethiazide for ADPKD: Does it really work?

Abstract Background and Aims Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary renal disease worldwide and accounts for 10% of patients on renal replacement therapy. Currently, the arginine vasopressin (AVP) V2 receptor antagonist Tolvaptan is the only available treatment for ADPKD which slows cyst formation and thus the progression of kidney disease by inducing AVP resistance. However, its aquaretic side effects can be debilitating and is the most common reason for medication discontinuation. Thiazides such as bendroflumethiazide are natriuresis-promoting diuretics through their action on the sodium-chloride channel in the distal convoluted tubule that are widely used to treat polyuria in inherited AVP deficiency or resistance. However, there is limited information about their effect in patients treated with Tolvaptan. The aim of this observational study is to review the impact on patients’ quality of life by using a low dose bendroflumethiazide with Tolvaptan in patients with ADPKD who are suffering from Tolvaptan induced aquaretic side effects. Method Details of all patients with ADPKD who are on Tolvaptan with or without bendroflumethiazide who are currently attending the polycystic kidney disease (PKD) clinic at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust were obtained, and their medications reviewed. Patients who have previously been or were currently on bendroflumethiazide to enable them to continue Tolvaptan therapy were identified. Information about the impact of bendroflumethiazide on their quality of life and their aquaretic side effects were obtained via phone call. If they discontinued bendroflumethiazide, the reason for this was explored. In addition, eGFR, sodium, potassium, and calcium at the time of bendroflumethiazide initiation as well as at three, six, nine and twelve months post bendroflumethiazide initiation were obtained. Results Out of 136 patients receiving Tolvaptan for treatment of ADPKD at our centre, eight (5.8%) were prescribed bendroflumethiazide for treatment of their aquaretic side effects from Tolvaptan. Two of these eight patients (25%) stopped bendroflumethiazide due to adverse reactions. The remaining six patients (75%) remained on the medication, and all reported significant subjective improvement in their symptoms of polyuria, nocturia and in their overall quality of life. Two of the six patients (33.3%) that remained on bendroflumethiazide had also subsequently increased their Tolvaptan dose. No electrolyte disturbances were noted after initiation of bendroflumethiazide. Conclusion Using bendroflumethiazide appears to improve the quality of life through reduction of polyuria and nocturia in patients suffering from Tolvaptan-induced aquaretic side effects with some patients subsequently able to increase their Tolvaptan dose by taking bendroflumethiazide which might result in augmented therapeutic benefit of Tolvaptan. Further placebo-controlled randomised studies with longitudinal will be needed to determine the true benefit-disbenefit balance of thiazide therapy in patients taking tolvaptan, especially to determine whether there is a negative effect on efficacy of tolvaptan on the underlying ADPKD. However, based on our small observational study, the number of patients needed to determine whether bendroflumethiazide improves the tolerability and medication adherence in patients who are debilitated by the aquaretic side effects of Tolvaptan would be small.

Hypopituitarism with secondary adrenocortical insufficiency and arginine vasopressin deficiency due to hypophysitis after COVID-19 vaccination: a case report

BackgroundAlthough vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has several side effects, hypopituitarism due to hypophysitis has rarely been reported.Case presentationAn 83-year-old healthy woman, who had received her fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose 2 days before admission, presented to the emergency department with difficulty moving. On examination, impaired consciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale: 14) and fever were observed. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head revealed swelling from the sella turcica to the suprasellar region. Her morning serum cortisol level was low (4.4 μg/dL) and adrenocorticotropic hormone level was normal (21.6 pg/mL). Central hypothyroidism was also suspected (thyroid stimulating hormone, 0.46 μIU/mL; free triiodothyronine, 1.86 pg/mL; free thyroxine, 0.48 ng/dL). Secondary adrenocortical insufficiency, growth hormone deficiency, delayed gonadotropin response, and elevated prolactin levels were also observed. After administration of prednisolone and levothyroxine, her consciousness recovered. On the 7th day of admission, the patient developed polyuria, and arginine vasopressin deficiency was diagnosed using a hypertonic saline test. On the 15th day, the posterior pituitary gland showed a loss of high signal intensity and the polyuria resolved spontaneously. On the 134th day, the corticotropin-releasing hormone loading test showed a normal response; however, the thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test showed a low response. The patient’s disease course was stable with continued thyroid and adrenal corticosteroid supplementation.ConclusionsHerein, we report a rare case of anterior hypopituitarism and arginine vasopressin deficiency secondary to hypophysitis following COVID-19 vaccination.

Beyond idiopathic arginine vasopressin deficiency: unveiling its etiology after over a decade

Beyond idiopathic arginine vasopressin deficiency: unveiling its etiology after over a decade

Validation of baseline laboratory levels and a novel probability score in the diagnosis of patients with suspected arginine vasopressin deficiency (Central Diabetes Insipidus)

Validation of baseline laboratory levels and a novel probability score in the diagnosis of patients with suspected arginine vasopressin deficiency (Central Diabetes Insipidus)

Arginine vasopressin deficiency: diagnosis, management and the relevance of oxytocin deficiency.

Polyuria-polydipsia syndrome can be caused by central diabetes insipidus, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus or primary polydipsia. To avoid confusion with diabetes mellitus, the name 'central diabetes insipidus' was changed in 2022 to arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency and 'nephrogenic diabetes insipidus' was renamed as AVP resistance. To differentiate the three entities, various osmotic and non-osmotic copeptin-based stimulation tests have been introduced in the past decade. The hypertonic saline test plus plasma copeptin measurement emerged as the test with highest diagnostic accuracy, replacing the water deprivation test as the gold standard in differential diagnosis of the polyuria-polydipsia syndrome. The mainstay of treatment for AVP deficiency is AVP replacement with desmopressin, a synthetic analogue of AVP specific forAVP receptor 2 (AVPR2), which usually leads to rapid improvements in polyuria and polydipsia. The main adverse effect of desmopressin is dilutional hyponatraemia, which can be reduced by regularly performing the so-called desmopressin escape method. Evidence from the past few years suggests an additional oxytocin deficiency in patients with AVP deficiency. This potential deficiency should be further evaluated in future studies, including feasible provocation tests for clinical practice and interventional trials with oxytocin substitution.

Postsurgical utility of copeptin for the prediction of postoperative arginine vasopressin deficiency.

Arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVD) following neurosurgical procedures for pituitary disorders is common and can delay discharge. Copeptin, a stable surrogate marker of arginine vasopressin, may predict postoperative AVD. The authors' aim was to assess the optimal postoperative sampling time and cut-point concentration of copeptin to predict the development of postsurgical AVD. Adults without preexisting AVD who were undergoing surgery for a pituitary lesion between February 2020 and April 2022 were eligible for study inclusion. Two samples were drawn from each patient postoperatively to assess the copeptin concentration using an immunofluorescent assay. Samples were denoted as "early" (within 6 hours of extubation) or "postoperative day 1" (POD1; within 10-30 hours of extubation). Patients were evaluated for the development of AVD. One hundred ninety-two patients (54.2% female) with a median age of 54.5 years (IQR 39.8-67.0 years) were included in the study. The median copeptin concentration at both time points was significantly lower in those with AVD (transient or permanent; n = 22, 11.5%) than in those without (early: 4.9 vs 18.7 pmol/L, p < 0.001; POD1: 3.4 vs 4.9 pmol/L, p < 0.001) but did not differ in those who developed transient versus permanent AVD. The optimal copeptin cut point for the prediction of AVD was < 8.5 pmol/L for early samples (sensitivity 0.70, specificity 0.80, positive predictive value [PPV] 0.29, negative predictive value [NPV] 0.96) and < 4.3 pmol/L for POD1 samples (sensitivity 0.82, specificity 0.63, PPV 0.22, NPV 0.96). In early samples, a copeptin cutoff of 22.9 pmol/L increased the sensitivity for the detection of AVD to 95% with an NPV of 99%. The proportion of patients who had AVD was higher (60.0% vs 8.8%, p < 0.001) and the copeptin concentration lower (early: 4.3 vs 17.0 pmol/L, p < 0.001; POD1: 2.7 vs 4.9 pmol/L, p < 0.001) among those who had undergone surgery for a craniopharyngeal duct pathology versus a pituitary adenoma. Although copeptin was lower in patients with persistent Cushing's disease than in those in remission, the difference did not reach statistical significance (early p = 0.11, POD1 p = 0.52). Furthermore, the copeptin concentration could not predict the development of syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. Patients without AVD who had received stress dose steroids intraoperatively had lower median early copeptin (11.7 vs 19.1 pmol/L, p = 0.027). In early postoperative copeptin samples, the optimal copeptin cut point for AVD diagnosis was < 8.5 pmol/L, and a level > 22.9 pmol/L had predicative utility in excluding AVD. Caution should be used when interpreting copeptin results, as patients administered glucocorticoids intraoperatively without AVD had lower median copeptin concentrations.

A rare diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis made on thyroid histology with coexisting papillary thyroid cancer and AVP deficiency.

A 48-year-old Asian male, presented to the hospital for an elective total thyroidectomy in the context of 6.3 cm thyroid nodule. The fine needle aspiration cytology of the nodule confirmed papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) with some atypical histiocytes. He has a history of idiopathic arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) and has been taking oral DDAVP 100 µg daily, self-adjusting the dose based on thirst and polyuria. Additionally, he also has a history of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. His total thyroidectomy was aborted due to significant intraoperative bleeding, and his admission was further complicated by post-operative hyponatraemic seizure. Thyroid histology revealed the diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), and further investigation with contrast CT demonstrated multi-organ involvement of the thyroid, lungs, and bones. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a condition that can affect one or more organ systems, including the pituitary, where it can present as AVP deficiency. Strict monitoring of fluid balance, as well as serial monitoring of serum sodium, is essential in all patients with AVP-D in the perioperative setting. Iatrogenic hyponatraemic seizure is an uncommon but serious complication of DDAVP treatment in hospitalised patients with AVP-D. DDAVP dosing must be carefully monitored. LCH with multisystem involvement is an important mimic for metastatic conditions, and histological diagnosis is essential to guide treatment and prognosis. Although LCH without bone marrow involvement is unlikely to increase the risk of bleeding, its effect on tissue integrity may make surgery more challenging. BRAF-V600E mutation is an important driver mutation and a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of LCH.

347 The Headache that Pees: Bacteremia leading to skull base osteomyelitis evolving to Arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) with polyuria

347 The Headache that Pees: Bacteremia leading to skull base osteomyelitis evolving to Arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D) with polyuria

Psychopathological characteristics in patients with arginine vasopressin deficiency (central diabetes insipidus) and primary polydipsia compared to healthy controls.

Distinguishing arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D; central diabetes insipidus) from primary polydipsia (PP), commonly referred to as psychogenic polydipsia, is challenging. Psychopathologic findings, commonly used for PP diagnosis in clinical practice, are rarely evaluated in AVP-D patients, and no comparative data between the two conditions currently exist. Data from two studies involving 82 participants [39 AVP-D, 28 PP, and 15 healthy controls (HC)]. Psychological evaluations were conducted using standardized questionnaires measuring anxiety [State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)], alexithymia [Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)], depressive symptoms (Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and overall mental health [Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36)]. Higher STAI, TAS-20, and BDI-II scores suggest elevated anxiety, alexithymia, and depression, while higher SF-36 scores signify better overall mental health. Compared to HC, patients with AVP-D and PP showed higher levels of anxiety (HC 28 points [24-31] vs AVP-D 36 points [31-45]; vs PP 38 points [33-46], P < .01), alexithymia (HC 30 points [29-37] vs AVP-D 43 points [35-54]; vs PP 46 points [37-55], P < .01), and depression (HC 1 point [0-2] vs AVP-D 7 points [4-14]; vs PP 7 points [3-13], P < .01). Levels of anxiety, alexithymia, and depression showed no difference between both patient groups (P = .58, P = .90, P = .50, respectively). Compared to HC, patients with AVP-D and PP reported similarly reduced self-reported overall mental health scores (HC 84 [68-88] vs AVP-D 60 [52-80], P = .05; vs PP 60 [47-74], P < .01). This study reveals heightened anxiety, alexithymia, depression, and diminished overall mental health in patients with AVP-D and PP. The results emphasize the need for careful interpretation of psychopathological characteristics to differentiate between AVP-D and PP.