Socio-economic Barriers to Care and Medical Complexity Leading to a 5-year Diagnostic Delay of Untreated Chronic Diabetes Insipidus and Rapidly Progressive Puberty in a 10-year-old Venezuelan Immigrant

Introduction: Germ cell tumors, including germinomas, account for 10% of pediatric chronic Diabetes Insipidus (DI) cases. Delays in diagnosis of germinomas are generally longer than six months, however, no reported cases of suprasellar germinomas causing chronic DI and precocious puberty have been known to exceed a 5-year delay in both treatment of DI symptoms and a definitive diagnosis.

Case Description: A 10-year-old Hispanic male presented with a 5-year history of polydipsia and polyuria. He underwent evaluation in Venezuela, where DI was reportedly ‘ruled out’; however, no head MRI was performed. After two years in the US struggling to acquire insurance, he presented to his pediatrician with worsening symptoms. A head MRI, ordered to evaluate dilute high-volume urine output, revealed a suprasellar mass. He was admitted for diagnostic evaluation and met the criteria for DI. Notably, he had an elevated Beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (B-HCG) level. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of a Central Nervous System (CNS) germinoma. He was treated with DDAVP and proton therapy with subsequent remission of his tumor.

Discussion: Throughout the patient’s disease course, there were multiple delays in seeking and receiving care. These include a 5-year delay in seeking care despite worsening symptoms, a one-month delay in completing a 24-hour urine collection, a one-month delay in consulting pediatric nephrology, and another month delay before completing a retroperitoneal ultrasound.

Multiple medical and socio-economic factors led to these delays. The patient did not present with symptoms more typical of CNS Germinomas like headaches, nausea, and vomiting. He had no visual disturbances despite mass effect on his optic chiasm. His increased stretched penis length and Tanner staging, which were identified later in his disease course, were contradicted by his pre-pubertal testicular volume and bone age.

The patient is from a Spanish-speaking/Limited English Proficiency (SSLEP) household. While Spanish interpreters were present at each appointment, the language barrier proved to be a consistent issue. Initially, the child’s mother indicated that the diagnosis of DI was 'ruled out' in Venezuela. In reality, the recommended imaging was never performed. Mychart messages left by his father further highlighted communication difficulties. Without access to an interpreter, he was forced to use broken English to relay his concerns. These frantic messages indicated misunderstandings regarding scheduling with various services and completing vital labs. Care only proceeded after significant physician intervention. Poverty in Venezuela, lack of insurance, and anxiety regarding COVID-19 also contributed to these delays.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a pediatric patient presenting with a 5-year history of untreated polyuria and polydipsia due to undiagnosed DI with a B-HCG secreting CNS germinoma, without spinal metastasis. This study also illustrates the importance of supporting SSLEP families as they grapple with the complicated process of navigating our healthcare system.