Pulmonary granulomata. A complication of intravesical administration of bacillus Calmette-Guerin for superficial bladder carcinoma.

Intravesical administration of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is an effective treatment for superficial carcinoma of the bladder. The authors report a pulmonary complication characterized by miliary infiltration on chest roentgenogram and caseating granulomata on lung biopsy specimens. This case and three prior reports suggest that this complication may be a form of hypersensitivity rather than true BCG infection.