Burkitt´s lymphoma of the caecum as a rare cause of acute abdomen: a case report

Summary

Burkitt´s lymphoma is a highly aggressive B-lymphoproliferative disorder. Clinically it most often manifests with extranodal involvement, typically affecting the gastrointestinal tract as a large and rapidly proliferating tumor mass, which may present as acute abdomen. We present a case report of a young man admitted with signs of acute appendicitis. A tumor of the ileocaecal junction was discovered perioperatively and resolved by a right-sided hemicolectomy. Histological examination of the tumor confirmed Burkitt´s lymphoma. On the ninth postoperative day, the patient developed signs of ileus and a follow-up CT scan showed tumor masses in the area of the ileotransversoanastomosis. He was transferred to undergo radical adjuvant chemotherapy. Intestinal passage was restored during the next two days. Our aim is to report on the limited role of surgical treatment in this type of malignancy, due to the extremely rapid proliferation of the tumor tissue, when the tumor can grow back to its original size over a period of a few hours or days.

Key words:
lymphoma – acute abdomen – ileus