Acute Kidney Disease Due to Excessive Vitamin C Ingestion and Remote Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Superimposed on CKD

A 69-year-old woman presented with acute kidney failure of unknown cause that ultimately required dialysis. Kidney biopsy revealed the diagnosis of oxalate nephropathy. In retrospect, the patient had several risk factors for this entity, including excessive vitamin C intake, a remote history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for weight loss, and chronic kidney disease. This presentation of multiple risk factors for oxalate nephropathy is especially relevant to patients and physicians considering the increase in the United States of vitamin C supplementation use and gastric bypass surgery. It is important for physicians to maintain an awareness of this diagnosis and its risk factors.