Ultrastructural appearances of nephron damage in acute poisoning with ethylene glycol

Renal biopsy material from five patients with acute ethylene glycol poisoning was taken five, 10, 16 and 22 days following poisoning and examined by electron microscopy. We found extensive crystal deposits in glomerular interloop spaces. In some of the tubules crystal accumulation seemed independent of time following poisoning. No morphological markers of reabsorption were found in the tubules tightly filled with crystals, while tubules with empty lumen had signs of enhanced reabsorption. In the early period of poisoning there were signs of epithelial damage while in the late periods, signs of epithelial regeneration prevailed. The results provide new information on the pathogenesis of anuria in acute poisoning with ethylene glycol.