[Morphologic changes in the liver and kidney in ethylene glycol poisoning]

The liver and kidneys of 48 persons who had died of poisoning with ethyleneglycol were investigated at periods from 4 hours to 32 days following the poisoning. In 44 deceased who had died 2--32 days after the poising of acute renal and hepato-renal insufficiency there were revealed lesions characteristic of this intoxication. The structural basis of glycolic nephrosis and hepatosis was hydropic dystrophy of the nephrothelium of proximal and distal tubules and of hepatocytes of the centers of the liver lobules with outcome into colliquative necrosis through ballon dystrophy. Specific lesions of thekidney and liver may be accounted for by a high osmotic activity of ethyleneglycol and products of its metabolism; these were captured by the renal and hepatic epithelium in the process of reabsorption and pinocytosis increasing drastically the osmotic concentration of the intracellular liquid, which was accompanied by rapid inflow of water into the cell and its hydropic dystrophy.