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Clinical Presentation, Management, and Outcomes of Mycobacterium Bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Infections: A Single-center Retrospective Review

Kim M, Abu Saleh OM, Castillo Almeida NE, Wengenack NL, Deml SM, Comba IY

Open forum infectious diseases, 2026

Abstract

Background: Intravesical Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is standard therapy for high-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, M bovis infections can occur and are not well understood. We aimed to characterize clinical phenotypes, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of culture-confirmed M bovis BCG infections following intravesical therapy for urothelial carcinoma.

Methods: A retrospective single-center review of adults with culture-confirmed M bovis infection after intravesical BCG (May 2009-July 2024) was conducted, abstracting clinical, microbiologic, treatment, and outcome data.

Results: Twenty-two White male patients (median age, 77 years) were included; 8 (36.4%) had localized genitourinary infection, 6 (27.3%) had dissemination limited to blood, and 8 (36.4%) had dissemination to other organs. Patients with bloodstream-only infection presented acutely (median 1.5 days after last BCG), whereas those with localized or organ-disseminated disease presented months to years after BCG, with the longest diagnostic delays in organ-disseminated infection. Despite all cases had culture-proven M bovis BCG infection, acid-fast smear, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex polymerase chain reaction, and histopathology had limited sensitivity. All isolates were susceptible to rifampin, isoniazid, and ethambutol; all were resistant to pyrazinamide. Median treatment duration exceeded 9 months, 94.7% achieved cure, and attributable mortality was 5.0% (1 vascular…

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