Sporadic Burkitt lymphoma initially presented as orofacial manifestations in an 8-year-old boy: A case report and mini-review

Abstract

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma, with three subtypes: endemic, sporadic, and human immunodeficiency associated subtypes. Endemic BL typically involves the mandible, maxilla, and abdomen, whereas sporadic BL usually presents as an abdominal mass involving the mesenteric lymph nodes or ileocecal region, and jaw involvement is uncommon. In pediatric patients, oral BL commonly presents as facial swelling with an intraoral exophytic mass and is usually accompanied by mobile, displaced, and/or painful teeth. We report sporadic BL initially presented as orofacial manifestations in an 8-year-old boy, and conduct a mini-review. He had left facial and gingival swelling. CT revealed the lesions were located at the left anterior maxilla and the masticator muscle, and PET showed multiple lesions. An incisional biopsy of left anterior maxillary gingiva was performed, and the pathological diagnosis was BL. Oral management has been performed since initial chemotherapy, and tumor remission was achieved by chemotherapy with the B-NHL03 study regimen at our pediatric department. There was no recurrence of the tumor 5 years after chemotherapy. Dentists and oral surgeons should be aware that dental problems including floating teeth and/or alveolar bone resorption might be the first clinical manifestation of BL. Because the success of intensive treatment relies on good supportive care, oral management plays an important role to maintain oral hygiene.