1 | INTRODUCTION
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 head‑and‑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 cell-doubling time of about 24–48 hours.3 The etiology of this tumor is debatable, but strong
evidence implicates Epstein-Barr virus in its
development.4 Three 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
This case report presents the diagnostic challenges encountered in
identifying oropharyngeal Burkitt lymphoma (BL) in a 41- year-old male
who initially presented with mass lesion in oropharynx. Owing to rarity
of BL in the oropharynx, this case underscores the importance of
considering rare malignancies in atypical presentations and highlights
the role of comprehensive diagnostic approaches in clinical management.