Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2024, 168(2):181-186 | DOI: 10.5507/bp.2022.051

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin pneumonitis after intravesical instillation: Report of two cases and a review of the literature

Martina Spisarova1, Stanislav Losse2, Petr Jakubec2, Igor Hartmann3, Milan Kral3, Jiri Ehrmann4, Marek Szkorupa5, Hana Studentova1, Bohuslav Melichar1
1 Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
2 Department of Pneumology and Tuberculosis, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
3 Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
4 Institute of Molecular and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
5 1st Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic

Objective: Intravesical administration of bacillus Calmette-Guérin is standard adjuvant treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. In spite of the fact that this immunotherapy is locoregional, there are still risk of some complications.

Methods: We describe two cases of systemic BCG infection after intravesical administration of BCG vaccine in patients with early stage of bladder cancer.

Results: Both patients suffered from systemic BCG infection manifesting as BCG pneumonitis. After standard therapy with antituberculotic agents, both of them fully recovered.

Conclusion: BCG infection can occur as a rare but potentially serious complication of this treatment procedure. Gravity of this side effect and its specific therapy require prompt and right diagnosis.

Keywords: bacillus Calmette-Guérin, bladder cancer, intravesical therapy

Received: October 28, 2022; Revised: November 29, 2022; Accepted: December 1, 2022; Prepublished online: January 2, 2023; Published: June 10, 2024  Show citation

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Spisarova, M., Losse, S., Jakubec, P., Hartmann, I., Kral, M., Ehrmann, J., ... Melichar, B. (2024). Bacillus Calmette-Guérin pneumonitis after intravesical instillation: Report of two cases and a review of the literature. Biomedical papers, 168(2), 181-186. doi: 10.5507/bp.2022.051
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