Intestinal obstruction due to peritoneal adhesions as a complication of peritoneal dialysis for neonatal hyperammonemia.

A male infant with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency developed massive neonatal hyperammonemia and was treated with peritoneal dialysis. He later developed intestinal obstruction due to peritoneal bands which originated at the site of the previous peritoneal catheter. In this infant the blood concentration of ammonia could not be lowered below 1000 micrograms/dl using peritoneal dialysis, while treatment with sodium benzoate led to control within 24 h. In view of the possibility of this and other complications of peritoneal dialysis, pharmacologic therapy of neonatal hyperammonemia should be considered as an initial modality of treatment.