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

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.