Pulmonary granulomas induced by BCG

Abstract

BCG administered by the multiple-puncture technique has been used in a prospective, randomized study of the adjuvant treatment of patients with osteogenic sarcoma. Pulmonary granulomas were found in the lungs of four of five patients receiving BCG, that underwent thoracotomy for the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules within three weeks of the last BCG injection. Except for a single, foreign-body granuloma no pulmonary granulomas were seen in seven randomized patients who did not receive BCG. In addition, two patients receiving BCG had evidence of granulomas in bone marrow and in a mediastinal lymph node. BCG administered by the multiple-puncture technique is capable of causing granulomas at sites distant from that of the BCG application. BCG can cause pulmonary granulomas and these granulomas may be confused with pulmonary metastatic disease.