Renal tubular disorders in the neonate.

Renal tubular disorders are uncommon in the newborn period, but, when present, they may produce complex life-threatening alterations in the composition of the intracellular and extracellular fluid compartments. Because of the infrequency with which these disorders are encountered; clinicians are often uncertain of the appropriate diagnostic evaluation. The authors believe that localizing major neonatal renal tubular disorders to the proximal and distal nephron will assist physicians in developing a pathophysiologic understanding of these conditions.