Mycobacterial brain abscess possibly due to bacille Calmette-Guérin in an immunocompromised child.
Disseminated infection with bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is rare, even in immunocompromised patients who receive BCG injections as immunotherapy or immunization. When such infection occurs, it is usually in patients with decreased cellular immunity. A 6-year-old Caucasian girl who was receiving maintenance chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia presented with symptoms of meningitis. A temporal-lobe biopsy revealed acid-fast bacilli that were identified as Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Neither the patient nor any family members had been immunized previously. Appropriate therapy resulted in a complete recovery.
Coppes
M J
MJ
Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Olivieri
N F
NF
Howes
M
M
Pusic
M
M
Gold
R
R
Richardson
S E
SE
D001706:Biopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed