Transient neonatal hyperammonaemia. A case report.

A case of transient neonatal hyperammonaemia (TNH) is described. The entity of TNH has only recently been identified and awareness of the condition may reveal that it is, in fact, not exceedingly rare in premature infants. The presentation of TNH mimics the neurological damage associated with asphyxia, sepsis or intraventricular haemorrhage, all of which occur frequently in premature infants. However, while the latter conditions are associated with a poor prognosis, the outcome for infants with TNH appears to be favourable if aggressive treatment is instituted at an early stage. Treatment consists of dialysis and/or exchange transfusion. A brief review of the literature on TNH is included.