🌏 African Jaw Lymphoma

🌏 The endemic form is linked to malaria and to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus that also causes glandular fever.

🌏 A tumour peculiar to children of central Africa was reported by Denis Burkitt in 1950. It is a lymphoreticular cell malignancy.

🔷 Clinical Features:

1. Age – between 6 & 9 years

2. Sex – M:F – 2:1

3. Site: In African form (Endemic),

• Maxilla > Mandible
• Spreads to floor of orbit
• Molar area
• More than one quadrant is involved

American form (Non-endemic) – Oral: only 1 quadrant involved. Other: Mainly involves Abdomen.

4. Onset & progress – fast growth with tumor doubling time of <24 hours.

5. Symptoms –

• Swelling of jaws, abdomen & paraplegia
• Loosening of teeth
• Abdominal tumors
• Bowel obstruction

6. Sign – Lymphadenopathy (Non-tender)

🔷 Oral Manifestations:

• Gingiva and mucosa – swollen, ulcerated, necrotic
• Facial asymmetry
• Teeth are pushed out of their sockets

🔷 Radiographic Features:

🔷 Histological Features:

1. Monoclonal proliferation of B-lymphocytes characterized by small non-cleaved cells.

2. Burkitt cells are homogenous in size & shape with –

• round to oval nuclei
• coarse chromatin
• Multiple nucleoli
• Basophilic vacuolated cytoplasm with neutral fat

🔷 Differential Diagnosis:

• Non-hodgkins lymphoma
• Cherubism
• Osteosarcoma

🔷 Treatment: Intrathecal Chemotherapy

References: Shafer’sTextbook Of Oral Pathology

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Dr. Mehnaz Memon🖊

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Ann Arbor Staging System for Lymphoma: https://dentowesome.wordpress.com/2020/06/15/ann-arbor-staging/