Tubercular disease caused by bacillus of Calmette-Guerin administered as a local adjuvant treatment of relapsing bladder carcinoma: Pathogenetic, diagnostic and therapeutic issues, and literature review

ABSTRACT

Two exemplary case reports of respiratory granulomatous infection caused by bacillus of Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in patients who were repeatedly treated with local, intravesical adjuvant BCG therapy for a relapsing transitional bladder carcinoma, are outlined and discussed, on the ground of the cumbersome diagnostic and differential diagnostic process (especially when a prior tuberculosis and a concurrent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are of concern), and an updated literature revision. Only four cases of respiratory BCG-itis (pulmonary tuberculosis-like forms), have been reported until now to the best of our knowledge (two of them following bladder instillation of BCG). One episode of ours represents the first described case with a dual, concomitant granulomatous localization of BCG-itis, also involving the genitourinary tract