Infantile Disseminated Bacille Calmette–Guérin Disease with Hemophagocytosis and Mimicking Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia: A Case Report with Concise Literature Review

Abstract

Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is a live-attenuated vaccine routinely administered to newborns to prevent severe forms of tuberculosis (TB) in TB-endemic countries. Disseminated BCG vaccine disease is a classic feature of children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs) and is associated with high mortality. We report a case of a 6-month-old infant with disseminated BCG disease and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis mimicking juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia with no demonstrable features of HIV or PID even after extensive laboratory work-up and succumbed to progressive disease. Disseminated BCG disease is a rare and potentially fatal complication of BCG vaccine, and prompt immunological evaluation complemented by initiation of 4-drug antitubercular therapy and definitive treatment with antiretroviral therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant is warranted.