Oropharyngeal Burkitt lymphoma masquerading as oropharyngeal carcinoma in an adult: A diagnostic challenge

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma derived from germinal center lymphoid B cells; named after Dennis Parsons Burkitt, an Irish surgeon who first described it as sarcoma of jaws in children from equatorial Africa in 1958. 1 Burkitt lymphoma accounts for 1-5% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases.It is uncommon in adults and usually involves the gastrointestinal system, central nervous system or the headand-neck region.Sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma is relatively rare in the head and neck region, accounting for about 25% of all cases. 2 Burkitt's lymphoma is the fastest-growing tumour in humans, with a celldoubling time of about 24-48 hours. 3The etiology of this tumor is debatable, but strong evidence implicates Epstein-Barr virus in its development. 4Three distinct forms of Burkitt's lymphoma have been described; each of them having own clinical and epidemiological features.Multi-agent chemotherapy is the mainstay of Burkitt's lymphoma treatment. 5