Arteriocutaneous Fistula Associated with Bilateral Femoral Pseudoaneurysms Caused by Bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Apropos of a Case and Review of Literature

Ann Vasc Surg. 2017 Feb:39:291.e1-291.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2016.07.094. Epub 2016 Nov 27.

Abstract

Vascular complications of intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) are rare. BCG is an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis that was initially developed for vaccination against tuberculosis, but it has also been used as an adjuvant treatment for bladder transitional carcinoma. We report a patient with a history of instillation of BCG 2 years before, who underwent surgical treatment of 2 pseudoaneurysms. The first, located in the left superficial femoral artery (SFA), was resected, and the artery was ligated because he had a history of femoropopliteal occlusion. After 4 weeks, he presented another one associated with hemorrhage by cutaneous fistula, in the right common femoral artery. In this case, revascularization was performed by means a common-to-deep femoral artery bypass with polytetrafluorethylene graft and reimplantation of SFA. Initially, bacterial cultures were negative, but bacilli cultures identified M. bovis after 3 weeks. Antituberculosis therapy was administered. After 13 months, the patient was asymptomatic and duplex ultrasound showed no signs of recurrent infection. This exposure should be considered if presentation of the false aneurysm is spontaneous and there is a history of bladder carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Intravesical
  • Aged
  • Aneurysm, False / diagnostic imaging
  • Aneurysm, False / microbiology*
  • Aneurysm, False / surgery
  • Aneurysm, Infected / diagnostic imaging
  • Aneurysm, Infected / microbiology*
  • Aneurysm, Infected / surgery
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects*
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • BCG Vaccine / administration & dosage
  • BCG Vaccine / adverse effects*
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation
  • Computed Tomography Angiography
  • Cutaneous Fistula / diagnostic imaging
  • Cutaneous Fistula / microbiology*
  • Cutaneous Fistula / surgery
  • Femoral Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Femoral Artery / microbiology*
  • Femoral Artery / surgery
  • Humans
  • Ligation
  • Male
  • Mycobacterium bovis / isolation & purification*
  • Recurrence
  • Reoperation
  • Replantation
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Vascular Fistula / diagnostic imaging
  • Vascular Fistula / microbiology*
  • Vascular Fistula / surgery

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Antitubercular Agents
  • BCG Vaccine