Diazoxide, sold under the brand name Proglycem and Balila (India), is a medication used to treat low blood sugar due to a number of specific causes. This includes islet cell tumors that cannot be removed and leucine sensitivity. It can also be used in refractory cases of sulfonylurea toxicity. It is generally taken by mouth.Common side effects include high blood sugar, fluid retention, low blood platelets, a fast heart rate, increased hair growth, and nausea. Other severe side effects include pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. It is chemically similar to thiazide diuretics. It works by decreasing insulin release from the pancreas and increasing glucose release by the liver.Diazoxide was approved for medical use in the United States in 1973. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. Medical uses
Diazoxide is used as a vasodilator in the treatment of acute hypertension or malignant hypertension.Diazoxide also inhibits the secretion of insulin  by opening ATP-sensitive potassium channel of beta cells of the pancreas; thus, it is used to counter hypoglycemia in disease states such as insulinoma (a tumor producing insulin) or congenital hyperinsulinism. Diazoxide acts as a positive allosteric modulator of the AMPA and kainate receptors, suggesting potential application as a cognitive enhancer. Side effects
Diazoxide interferes with insulin release through its action on potassium channels. Diazoxide is one of the most potent openers of the K+ ATP channels present on the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas.
The hindbrain proceeds to develop normally, allowing for the child to be carried to term, but the diencephalon and ocular lobe remain small and underdeveloped. Ectodermal mesenchyme
Mesenchyme is formed in the developing embryo and will eventually become cartilage and bone. When ectodermal mesenchyme fails to migrate into the head region of the embryo, the skull will not be able to form. What exactly causes the failure of mesenchymal migration is unknown. Diagnosis
Acrania can be diagnosed early in pregnancy through an ultrasound. This abnormality appears during the beginning or end of the fourth week of the fetuss development. An absence of the skull is needed in order to make a diagnosis. A presence of brain tissue will confirm the diagnosis of acrania and differentiate it from other developmental problems such as anencephaly. Prognosis
Anencephaly is a fatal condition. Infants with anencephaly are stillborn in about 75 percent of cases. Newborns who survive die within several hours, days, or weeks. This disease is rare, occurring in 1 in 20,000 live births. In order to better manage an acrania diagnosis, early detection is of extreme importance. Families may choose either to terminate the pregnancy, or to carry the fetus to term, depending on the laws where they live. Acrania may cause a fetus to spontaneously abort before reaching term. References
External links

Acalvaria (Acrania) at NIHs Office of Rare Diseases