Oral medicine case book 69: Burkitt lymphoma of the oral cavity

A 25-year-old female was referred to the Haematology Unit at Tygerberg Hospital for further management of a rapidly expanding and large submandibular mass which on fine needle aspiration was suggestive of lymphoma (Figure 1). Five months earlier she had been diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and was confirmed to be HIV positive with a CD4 count of 17. She was placed on anti-retroviral (ARV) and antituberculous therapy (the ARV therapy included efavirenz, emtricitabine and tenofivir). Her CD4 count, at the time of the current consultation, was 204 and the viral load was suppressed. Lumbar puncture was normal. Significant clinical findings were a large right submandibular mass and right cervical and axillary lymphadenopathy. The submandibular mass was removed and submitted for histological examination.