Childhood Craniofacial Burkitt's Lymphoma Presenting as Maxillary Swelling: Report of a Case and Review of Literature

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) is an undifferentiated malignant lymphoma comprising of uniformly primitive lymphoreticular cells. The tumor was seen originally in patients in Africa. African type BL usually occurs in the jaws of young children. In American cases, abdominal involvement predominates. Strong evidence implicats Epstein-Barr virus in the development of BL. BL is found most commonly in childhood, with a peak incidence in African cases at 5 to 8 years old and in American cases at 10 to 12 years old. The disease shows a preference for males in a 2: 1 to 4: 1 ratio. BL is the most rapidly growing neoplasm requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment; however, it is extremely sensitive to chemotherapy. In this report, a case of BL that was initially misdiagnosed as an acute dental abscess is presented and the role of the dentist in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients is emphasized.