BCG lymphadenitis

Abstract

BCG vaccine is a safe vaccine. Purulent lymphadenitis, osteitis and rarely disseminated BCGitis are seen after BCG vaccination but lymphadenitis is more common. This is benign and regresses spontaneously or by fistula forming after 5 to 6 months. The time of presentation is about 3 months to 3 years after vaccination. The best treatment is no treatment. Complete surgery, antimycobacterial antibiotics or needle aspiration of the lymph node may be tried, however. Disseminated BCGitis is very rare and happens usually in immune compromised children. Antimycobacterial antibiotics associated with transfer factor to help immune system are accepted for management. We report on 8 cases of BCG lymphadenitis observed in a period of 2 years. 2 of them had disseminated BCGitis whom we treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs and transfer factor without success in one case.