PRIMARY NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGICAL PRESENTATION OF BURKITT'S LYMPHOMA.

Abstract

Three patients who showed primary neuro-ophthalmological presentation of Burkitt's lymphoma are described. A 7-year-old girl presented with unlateral palsy of cranial nerves (second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth). Another 10-year-old girl, presented with unilateral complete internal and external ophthalmoplegia in association with an pidural mass producing a flacid paraplegia. A 20-year-old male showed features of Guillain-Barre syndrome (including bilateral cranial nerve palsies). Examination of CSF by phase contrast microscopy and tissue culture technique was diagnostic in one patient. The cranial nerve palsies responded dramatically to tumour chemotherapy (endoxan and intrathecal methotrexate).