Atypical intrathoracic manifestations of Burkitt's lymphoma

Abstract

Analysis of the plain chest radiographs of 11 children with Burkitt's lymphoma showed that mediastinal adenopathy was the commonest abnormality present. One child showed a pulmonary infiltrative pattern which had previously been undescribed in this disease. Nigerian children with this lymphoma present more commonly with mediastinal glandular enlargement whereas pleural effusion is more frequently encountered in Caucasians.

An update on Burkitt lymphoma: a review of pathogenesis and multimodality imaging assessment of disease presentation, treatment response, and recurrence

“…Thoracic involvement is common and most often manifests with pleural effusion, which can sometimes be massive, causing mediastinal shift [28]. Mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy are also seen [28, 32]. Uncommon intrathoracic manifestations of BL include pericardial and myocardial involvement, presenting with single or multiple masses, lung parenchymal and endobronchial lesions, and chest wall masses [33–35] (Fig.…”

Diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma in pediatric patients by thoracentesis

“…The sporadic (non‐African or American) form more commonly has an abdominal presentation, whereas the endemic (African) form frequently presents with tumors of the head and neck 1. Pleural effusions at diagnosis occur in 2–33% of previously reported series, and it has been noted that pleural effusions are more common in Caucasians with the sporadic form of Burkitt compared to the endemic (African) form 2. Series from Africa have documented that 2–9% of patients have pleural effusions, although it is not clear from the early reports how many patients had chest radiographs 3–5.…”