An 83-year-old man presented with persistent fever after intravesical BCG therapy for bladder cancer. Chest computed tomography (CT) and bronchoscopy revealed diffuse ground-glass opacities with multiple micronodules and lymphocyte-predominant bronchoalveolar lavage fluid with a high CD4/CD8 ratio, respectively. Therefore, corticotherapy for interstitial pneumonia was initiated. Anti-fast staining of the respiratory specimens was negative; however, anti-tuberculosis treatment was added based on CT findings suggesting disseminated BCG infection. Fifty days post-admission, Mycobacterium bovis BCG was identified in the initial sputum cultures. Concomitant interstitial pneumonia and BCG infection should be considered in patients with abnormal chest imaging following intravesical BCG therapy.
Keywords: Mycobacterium bovis BCG; disseminated BCG infection; interstitial pneumonia; intravesical BCG.