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hyperammonemia
(hi″pәr-am″o-ne´me-ә)
elevated levels of ammonia or its compounds in the blood. A congenital form occurs in two types: Type 1, due to deficiency of the enzyme ornithine carbamoyltransferase, is marked by vomiting, lethargy, coma, and enlargement of
the liver; symptoms become worse when the individual eats protein. Type 2, due to deficiency of the enzyme carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (ammonia), is marked by vomiting, lethargy, and flaccidity
and by elevated plasma and urinary levels of glycine. Hyperammonemia also sometimes occurs in nongenetic conditions such as severe liver disease.
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