Case Report

A unique case of miliary pulmonary tuberculosis induced by bacillus Calmette-Guérin intravesical instillation with COVID-19 superinfection

Nicolò Brandi, Laura Bartalena, Cristina Mosconi, Rita Golfieri
South African Journal of Radiology | Vol 25, No 1 | a2122 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajr.v25i1.2122 | © 2021 Nicolò Brandi, Laura Bartalena, Cristina Mosconi, Rita Golfieri | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 03 March 2021 | Published: 17 June 2021

About the author(s)

Nicolò Brandi, Department of Radiology, IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Laura Bartalena, Department of Radiology, IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Cristina Mosconi, Department of Radiology, IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Rita Golfieri, Department of Radiology, IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Abstract

Intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is used as an adjuvant treatment of bladder cancer. Systemic BCG infection occurs in less than 1% of cases, and pulmonary involvement is even rarer (0.3% – 0.7%), with a favourable prognosis. A 78-year-old male developed miliary tuberculosis (TB) secondary to intravesical BCG treatment and subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) superinfection that led to patient death. High awareness amongst clinicians is needed to proceed with immediate appropriate therapy in these patients, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic

Keywords

tuberculosis; BCG; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; CT.

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Crossref Citations

1. Co-Infections and Superinfections in COVID-19 Critically Ill Patients Are Associated with CT Imaging Abnormalities and the Worst Outcomes
Nicolò Brandi, Federica Ciccarese, Caterina Balacchi, Maria Rita Rimondi, Cecilia Modolon, Camilla Sportoletti, Chiara Capozzi, Matteo Renzulli, Alexandro Paccapelo, Andrea Castelli, Rita Golfieri
Diagnostics  vol: 12  issue: 7  first page: 1617  year: 2022  
doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12071617