Disseminated infection due to Mycobacterium bovis after intravesical BCG instillation

Abstract

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation has been adopted for the treatment of patients with superficial bladder cancer. Severe adverse events due to local instillation of BCG are uncommon, with an overall rate of serious complications of less than 5%. We report the case of an immunocompetent adult patient with multi-system effects, namely pneumonitis, granulomatous hepatitis and meningitis, who responded well to standard treatment for Mycobacterium bovis. This case highlights the importance of a thorough assessment of this type of patient.