Burkitt lymphoma mimicking acute pancreatitis

Autopsy And Case Reports

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ISSN: 22361960
Editor Chefe: Maria Claudia Nogueira Zerbini
Início Publicação: 28/02/2011
Periodicidade: Trimestral
Área de Estudo: Medicina

Burkitt lymphoma mimicking acute pancreatitis

Ano: 2012 | Volume: 2 | Número: 3
Autores: L. M. Bacchi, I. Ucella, T. T. Amancio, M. C. Gonçalves, R. B. Palhares, S. A. C. Siqueira
Autor Correspondente: L. M. Bacchi | [email protected]

Palavras-chave: Burkitt lymphoma, pancreatitis, autopsy, lymphoma B-Cell.

Resumos Cadastrados

Resumo Inglês:

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive B cell lymphoma, presenting in extranodal sites or as an acute leukemia. Three clinical variants of BL are recognized: endemic BL, sporadic BL and immunodeficiency associated BL. Sporadic BL is seen worldwide, mainly in children and young adults involving the abdominal organs mostly the ileocaecal area. Pancreatic involvement is rare. The authors report a unique case of abdominal Burkitt lymphoma, initially diagnosed and treated as acute pancreatitis. Clinically, the patient presented severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Imaging findings were suggestive of inflammatory involvement of the pancreas, heading treatment towards this hypothesis. Unfortunately, the patient died during the diagnostic work up, and the autopsy findings demonstrated advanced Burkitt lymphoma with extensive involvement of pancreatic parenchyma and other organs within the abdominal cavity. Once Burkitt lymphoma is a potentially curable disease, early diagnosis
is crucial for better outcomes.