Oral Burkitt's lymphoma in children: the Moroccan experience

• Published in: International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 36 - 40
• Main Authors: Otmani, N, Khattab, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Burkitt Lymphoma - pathology; Burkitt Lymphoma - virology; Burkitt's lymphoma; Child; Child, Preschool; children; Dentistry; Epidemiologic Methods; Female; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Herpesvirus 4, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Male; Medical sciences; Morocco; Mouth Neoplasms - pathology; Mouth Neoplasms - virology; oral location; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Sex Factors; Surgery; Toothache - etiology; Morocco; Africa; oral location; Morocco; children; Burkitt's lymphoma; Human; Stomatology; Burkitt lymphoma; Oral administration; Malignant hemopathy; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Infection; Experience; Treatment; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Viral disease; Surgery; Child; Cancer
• ISSN: 0901-5027; 1399-0020
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2007.06.010

Abstract Thirty-seven children with Burkitt's lymphoma of the oral region diagnosed between 1998 and 2005 were reviewed. There were 31 boys and 6 girls. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.64 years (range 2–15 years) with a mean delay to diagnosis of 41 days (range 10 days–2 months). There was a predominance of maxillary over mandibular involvement: 1.44:1. Complaints included exophytic mass with dental displacement (100%), abdominal pain (68%), nerve palsy (28%) and orbital swelling (21%). Toothache as initial complaint led to dental extraction in 12 cases. According to the Murphy classification, there were 4 stage II, 11 stage III and 22 stage IV tumours; 43% and 41% had bone marrow and central nervous system involvement, respectively. After chemotherapy, complete remission was seen in 59% of cases. Remission in two children was relatively brief, lasting no more than 3 months. After a median follow-up of 45 months (range 9–99 months), the disease-free survival rate was 54%. In conclusion, in this series, oral presentation of Burkitt's lymphoma was a component of more widely disseminated disease. The pattern seemed to fall between that of the endemic and the sporadic types. Even with intensive chemotherapy, patients with advanced disease maintained a poor prognosis.