DOI: 10.12890/2023_004009

Systemic bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection and accompanying warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia following intravesical BCG immunotherapy

Authors

  • Alper Tuna Güven Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey 0000-0002-6310-4240
  • Yusuf Ziya Demiroğlu Department of Infectious Diseases, Başkent University Adana Hospitals, Ankara, Turkey 0000-0002-9866-2197
  • Nazım Emrah Koçer Department of Pathology, Başkent University Adana Hospitals, Ankara, Turkey 0000-0002-5943-9283

alper.tuna.guven@gmail.com

Keywords

Mycobacterium bovis, urinary bladder neoplasms, anaemia, immunotherapy

Abstract

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is used for urothelial carcinoma. Systemic side effects are rare and commonly include organ involvement but rarely include bone marrow. We describe a patient who had received intravesical BCG and presented shortly afterwards with constitutional symptoms. Initial work-up revealed pancytopenia and immune haemolysis. He was presumptively diagnosed with systemic BCG infection and secondary warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Isoniazid, rifampin and ethambutol was started. The bone marrow biopsy revealed granulomas. Within 6 weeks of treatment, the patient's clinic and laboratory results were dramatically improved. A high level of suspicion is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

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References

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Published

2023-08-10

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 9 (2023)

Categories

How to Cite

1.
Güven AT, Demiroğlu YZ, Koçer NE. Systemic bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection and accompanying warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia following intravesical BCG immunotherapy. EJCRIM [Internet]. 2023 Aug. 10 [cited 2026 Nov. 3];10(9). Available from: https://ejcrim.com/index.php/ejcrim/article/view/4009