Prospective study on radiological manifestations of Burkitt's lymphoma at the Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

The radiological features of Burkitt's Lymphoma were assessed in 49 children with a histological diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital Paediatric wards. The commonest radiological findings were associated with abdominal lymphomas seen in 65.2% of the cases. The least findings were associated with cervical adenopathy seen in 3.3% and a similar number had pleural effusion. Disease extent on radiological evaluation was greater than as assessed clinically alone. For instance, while 20 cases were clinically found to have disease confined to the facial bones, on radiological evaluation 5 of the 20 cases were found to have Burkitt's Lymphoma deposits in the abdominal viscera besides the facial lesions. The age range was 2-14 years with the incidence falling rapidly after 10 years. The male female ratio was 2.3 : 1. Peak incidence was at 5 - 7 years. The highest incidence was found among tribes residing in endemic malarial areas. The Luo had the highest incidence with 19 cases (38.8%) followed by the Luhya with 11 cases (22.4%).