Severe Oxalosis With Systemic Manifestations

Ethylene glycol toxicity can have various clinical presentations with different organ system involvements. These presentations are independent of the level of toxicity. We describe a 31 years old male who presented with ethylene glycol toxicity manifesting as anuric renal failure who subsequently developed neurological sequela of its toxicity. Ethylene glycol is known to be metabolized to various metabolites and is ultimately converted to oxalate which results in crystal deposition the renal parenchyma causing renal failure. Oxalate deposition can occur in various organs including the nervous system as seen in our patient. The majority of patients do not recover from severe oxalosis despite the supportive care of hemodialysis in removing the parent compounds. Despite severe oxalosis, our patient was fortunate enough to be left with minimal neurological sequelae, and eventually was able to cease hemodialysis treatments. KEYWORDS: Ethylene glycol; Oxalate; Oxalosis; Glyoxylic acid