We report a case of pseudoaneurysm of the left internal iliac artery after intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy for bladder cancer. A 75-year-old man was referred to us with lumbar pain and recurring fever. One year previously he was treated for bladder cancer with transurethral resection, followed by adjuvant intravesical BCG therapy lasting 11 months. Computed tomography scanning demonstrated a pseudoaneurysm and perianeurysmal inflammatory changes in the region of the left internal iliac artery. An emergency operation was performed under a diagnosis of impending rupture of the tuberculous left internal iliac arterial aneurysm. Because of the urinary tract stenosis, which was caused by the aneurysm, we inserted a ureteral stent preoperatively. We performed aneurysmectomy and femorofemoral cross over bypass. After 10 months of antituberculous chemotherapy, CT showed no recurrence of infectious aneurysm. Although intravesical BCG therapy is generally considered safe, serious complications including vascular complication have been reported. A mycotic origin should be considered when an aneurysm is discovered after BCG therapy. The prophylactic use of a ureteral stent in mycotic iliac arterial surgery may lead to minor complications.

Here we present a long-term follow-up of 50 operative survivors, who underwent surgery between December 1975 and March 1994 for the placement of an extracardiac conduit. Twenty-six patients received conduits with various valves (VC group). The valves used were the Hancock valve in 9 patients, the St. Jude Medical valve in 5, and a valved roll made of equine pericardium in 10. Twenty-four patients received valveless Dacron conduits (NVC group). Another group of patients, also with discontinuity between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, who were operated on without the use of a conduit, is presented here for comparison (NCR group: 16 patients). The follow-up period for the NCR group was shorter than for the other groups. There were a total of 4 late deaths in the conduit groups, and none in the NCR group. Freedom from reoperation due to conduit stenosis was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. In the VC group, freedom from reoperation at 5, 10, and 15 years, was 87.8%, 50.8%, and 31.2% respectively. In the NVC group, freedom from reoperation at 5, 10, and 15 years was 100%, 95.7%, and 60.4%. There were statistically significant differences between the values in these 2 groups. In the NCR group, only one patient (6.25%) underwent reoperation due to stenosis in the right ventricular outflow tract. Although the rate of freedom from reoperation was lower in the valveless conduit group than in the valved conduit group, the majority of patients who receive a conduit between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery will eventually require reoperation. Avoiding the use of an extracardiac conduit, and creating continuity between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery with autologous tissue is a useful alternative and may reduce the need for reoperation.