Fatal Systemic Complications after Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Immunotherapy: A Case Report

Approximately 70% of bladder transitional epithelium cell carcinomas are non-invasive muscular bladder cancers, and for the treatment and prevention of recurrence of this type of cancer, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is applied prophylactically. This practice is generally considered reliable and rarely causes systemic complications. We present here a case in which the patient underwent transurethral resection due to bladder carcinoma and subsequently received intravesical BCG immunotherapy. After the fifth application of BCG, hypersensitivity, tuberculosis sepsis, acute kidney injury, DIC, metabolic acidosis and simultaneous pulmonary embolism were observed.