Periradicular burkitt's lymphoma: a report of 2 cases from Nigeria and review of the literature

Abstract

This article reports two cases of periradicular Burkitt's lymphoma from Nigeria, to emphasize the difficulties in differentiating the early lesion from other periradicular lesions with similar clinical and radiological findings Case I, is a 4-year-old boy who presented with a one-month history of a painless, hard, posterior mandibular swelling (right), which was causing loosening and displacement of deciduous teeth (84 and 85). Histopathological examination of periradicular tissues from extracted tooth (85), confirmed the diagnosis of early periradicular Burkitt's lymphoma. Case 2, is a 6-year-old boy who presented with one-week history of a loose, extruded right mandibular first molar tooth (46) and an exfoliated left mandibular first molar tooth (36). After two weeks of follow-up, the patient developed bilateral mandibular swelling at the molar region, as well as peri-orbital and bilateral pedal oedema. Incisional biopsy of the oral lesion at the region of exfoliated left first mandibular molar (36) was useful for histopathological diagnosis of early Burkitt's lymphoma of the jaw. In the face of limited diagnostic tools such as clinico-radiological assessment, cytology or incisional biopsy for incipient periradicular lesions, a high index of suspicion of Burkitt's lymphoma of the jaw may be helpful in early diagnosis and treatment of a lesion, presenting in a child as periradicular radiolucency or mixed radiolucency and radiopacity, with associated loosening and displacement of teeth