Mycobacterium bovis abdominal aortic and femoral artery aneurysms following intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy for bladder cancer

Cardiovasc Pathol. 2010 Mar-Apr;19(2):e29-32. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2008.09.003. Epub 2008 Nov 20.

Abstract

Background: Infectious complications of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy are rare, but these have included a handful of cases of mycotic aneurysm.

Methods and results: We present the case of a patient with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and a femoral artery aneurysm who had previously received intravesical BCG therapy for bladder carcinoma. Histopathologic examination of resected tissue revealed numerous acid-fast bacilli, and subsequent mycobacterial culture of blood and resected tissue revealed BCG strain Mycobacterium bovis.

Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of the possible extravesical complications, albeit rare, of BCG therapy. Therapy should consist of combined medical and surgical management.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Intravesical
  • Aged
  • Aneurysm, Infected / microbiology*
  • Aneurysm, Infected / pathology
  • Aneurysm, Infected / surgery
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / microbiology*
  • Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / pathology
  • Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / surgery
  • Aortic Rupture / microbiology
  • Aortic Rupture / pathology
  • Aortic Rupture / surgery
  • BCG Vaccine / adverse effects*
  • Femoral Artery / microbiology
  • Femoral Artery / pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mycobacterium bovis / isolation & purification*
  • Mycobacterium bovis / physiology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tuberculosis, Cardiovascular / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Cardiovascular / microbiology*
  • Tuberculosis, Cardiovascular / pathology
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Vaccines, Attenuated / adverse effects

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • BCG Vaccine
  • Vaccines, Attenuated