Burkitt's lymphoma classification

(African Burkitt’s lymphoma)

• The endemic form always presents as a jaw or facial bone tumor
• Primary involvement of the abdomen is not very common
• The primary tumor can disseminate to the extranodal sites such as the mesentery, ovary, testis, kidney, breast, and meninges
• Peripheral lymph nodes, mediastinum, and spleen involvement are uncommon
• Bone marrow involvement is noted in less than 10 percent of patients at the time of initial diagnosis but is a common complication of treatment-resistant disease.

(Non-African or Non-endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma)

• The most common type of Burkitt’s lymphoma in North America and Europe
• Sometimes associated with the Epstein-Barr virus, but in many cases this virus is not present
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which includes Burkitt’s, accounts for 30-50% of childhood lymphoma
• This form usually has an abdominal presentation, most often with massive dissemination and ascites; the distal ileum, stomach , cecum and/or mesentery, kidney, testis, ovary, breast, bone marrow, or central nervous system (CNS) are involved
• Presenting symptoms can be those that are like bowel obstruction or gastrointestinal bleeding, often disguised as acute appendicitis or intussusception
• Almost 25 percent of cases will have presentation of the disease in the jaw or facial bones
• Lymphadenopathy, is generally localized
• Bone marrow and CNS involvement occurs in about 30 and 15 percent of cases, respectively, but are likely complications of recurrent or treatment resistant disease

• The presentation of patients with immunodeficiency-related Burkitt’s lymphoma is often accompanied by signs or symptoms related to the underlying immunodeficiency which can be the following:
  • AIDS
  • Congenital immunodeficiency
  • Acquired immunodeficiency due to bone marrow or solid organ transplantation
• Immunodeficiency-related cases frequently often involve lymph nodes, bone marrow, and CNS