Bladder Contracture – A Rare and Serious Side Effect of Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Therapy

Abstract

Instillation of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an effective treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The high incidence of side effects may limit its tolerability in patients. Local side effects including cystitis and hematuria are common but generally self-limiting. Bladder contractures are a rare but serious consequence of BCG treatment. In this case, an 82 year-old male developed BCG reactivation and subsequent bladder contractures following transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) three years post-BCG. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of BCG reactivation post-TURP leading to the rare but serious effect of bladder contractures.

Keywords

• Bladder cancer
• Side effect
• BCG
• Contracture