Osteitis caused by Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination: An emergent problem in Chile?

Abstract

SETTING: Osteitis caused by bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCGOST) vaccination has not been described in Latin American countries. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence, clinical features and prognosis of patients with BCGOST in one of the most populated areas of Santiago, Chile. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of medical records kept over twenty years (1976-1995). RESULTS: In ten children (four in the last five years), diagnostic criteria of BCGOST were fulfilled. Six were boys, the mean age was 11 months (range 6.5-21), symptoms were present with a mean of 31 days (range 15-60) before diagnosis and the sites of predilection of osteitis were the lower extremity (8/10 cases). Culture was pos- itive in one case, and nine patients had typical histopathological lesions (two with acid-fast bacilli). All had normal chest X-ray. Mantoux testing was performed in four cases (mean 21.5 mm, range 16-28). None of the ten patients had a history of underlying immunodeficiency. In this area BCG coverage w