BURKITT LYMPHOMA – CLINICIANS’S PERSEVERANCE IN ESTABLISHING THE DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

Burkitt lymphoma, a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, appears especially in small ages and it presents the most rapid tumor growth encountered in the human beings. We present the case of a 5 year-old child who presents diffuse, abdominal pain, abdominal distension and decreased consistency stools, and who is transferred in the Pediatrics Clinic 1 Targu-Mures, with the diagnosis of severe malnutrition and hypoproteinemia edema of unknown etiology. The laboratory investigations performed showed leukocytosis, mildly increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anemia, decreased level of serum proteins, and also an increased level of LDH. The abdominal ultrasound revealed intraperitoneal fluid, and the abdominal CT exam showed free fluid between the intestinal loops, 2 fistulas, one between the duodenum and the colon, and the other one between the jejunum and the colon, but also enlarged lymph nodes. The surprise during the surgery is the discovery of a tumor mass which involves the duodenum, the jejunum and the colon, and the pathological exam establishes the diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma, extranodal type, with evolution after surgery burdened by multiple complications. After the third surgical intervention, the chemotherapy is initiated. Even though in some cases, the clinical picture is not suggestive for the severity of the pathology, the clinician’s perseverance is the one that finally leads to the establishment of the diagnosis.

Keywords

• burkitt lymphoma
• child
• diagnosis