Parotid Burkitt Lymphoma: Case Report

Abstract

Salivary gland tumors are rare counting only 0.5% of all cancers, only 2% among them are lymphomas. Burkitt lymphomas is an aggressive mature non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma characterized by MYC oncogene activation, commonly occurring in nodal sites, however the extranodal sites are mostly seen in immunodeficiency associated Burkitt lymphoma as it is seen in patients with HIV infection. Clinically, the symptoms are related to the acute enlargement of gland due to the fast growing of the tumor and its rapid cells turnover. Diagnostic assessment requires biological investigations as well as cytological, histological and immunohistochemical exams to put out the diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma. However, imaging is paramount by CT and MRI which finds its interest in its sensibility to characterize salivary gland tumors by the diffusion sequence and the estimation of apparent coefficient of diffusion. That being said, the diagnosis of parotid gland lymphoma is a differential diagnosis of parotid tumor because of its rarity. Our case is about a middle-aged woman suffering from a unilateral parotid swelling, its uncommon evolution pushed the investigations which leads to discovering a HIV infection, a diagnose the patient with a HIV-associated Burkitt lymphoma. We put the light on salivary gland location of this cancer by screening literature on this subject which benefitted from important advances of treatments, offering good outcomes in terms of freedom of event and overall survival.