[Tuberculous spondylitis after intravesical BCG instillation: a case report]

We report a case of tuberculous spondylitis after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation. A 71-year-old man was administered BCG (80 mg per week) for 8 weeks for prophylactic treatment of bladder cancer. After the first instillation he experienced miction pain, pollakisuria, and febrile episodes. Two months after the completion of BCG instillation, he complained to back pain and spinal X-ray showed a lytic lesion of Th7 vertebra. Diagnosis of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma was made based on MRI and bone scan. But pathological findings at laminectomy revealed tuberculous spondylitis. Antituberculous therapy (SM, RFP, and INH) was instituted and anterior supine fusion was performed. Now he is free from bladder cancer and tuberculous infection. Intravesical BCG instillation is effective for superficial bladder cancer, but it should be kept in mind that complications related to this treatment could occur and the adequate antituberculosis treatment has to be insisted if indicated.