Ethylene Glycol
Shane M. Meehan, MBBCh
Key Facts
Terminology
Oxalosis due to ethylene glycol ingestion
Etiology/Pathogenesis
Renal injury due to calcium oxalate deposition and other toxins like glycolic acid
Clinical Issues
Phase 1: Neurologic (0.5-12 hours after ingestion)
Phase 2: Cardiopulmonary (12-24 hours)
Phase 3: Renal (24-72 hours)
Microscopic Pathology
Acute tubular injury and necrosis
Proximal tubular cytoplasmic ballooning vacuolization
Tubular calcium oxalate crystals
Top Differential Diagnoses
Primary and secondary oxalosis
 Cortex with intratubular, refractile, pale yellow, crystalline calcium oxalate  , epithelial injury with macrovesicular (ballooning) vacuolization  , and interstitial edema with scattered inflammation. (Courtesy T. Nadasdy, MD.) |
 Refractile, pale yellow crystals of calcium oxalate within the cytoplasm of proximal tubular cells  . Crystals are associated with severe tubular injury  & epithelial cytoplasmic vacuoles  . (Courtesy T. Nadasdy, MD.) |
TERMINOLOGY
Abbreviations
Ethylene glycol-oxalosis (EGO)
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