Peripheral blood and marrow findings in disseminated bacille Calmette-Guerin infection

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2005 Feb;27(2):97-9. doi: 10.1097/01.mph.0000153957.95486.8b.

Abstract

The authors describe an unusual case of a disseminated bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) infection in a 3-month-old girl who presented with a huge hepatosplenomegaly, fever, and pancytopenia. Clinically, an infantile kala-azar or lymphoma/leukemia was suspected. However, after thorough clinical and paraclinical investigations, the case was diagnosed as a disseminated BCG infection. The child died 2 weeks after starting antituberculosis treatment. Autopsy revealed diffuse histiocytic infiltration in the liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes, which were loaded with acid-fast bacilli. Three interesting findings were noticed in this case: circulating monocytes in the peripheral blood were loaded with ghost acid-fast bacilli; bone marrow smears revealed numerous Gaucher cell-like macrophages loaded with negative images of Mycobacterium tuberculi; and there was extensive marrow necrosis. These findings have not been previously reported in the literature.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Fever / etiology
  • Hepatomegaly / etiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Mycobacterium bovis / pathogenicity*
  • Necrosis
  • Pancytopenia / etiology
  • Splenomegaly / etiology
  • Tuberculosis / complications*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis / pathology*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents