ABDOMINAL PRESENTATION OF BURKITTS-LYMPHOMA IN AN HIV-POSITIVE PATIENT

The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has greatly increased in the AIDS population. It has been estimated that 8% to 27% of newly di agnosed cases of NHL are related to AIDS.' The vast majority are clini cally aggressive B cell-derived lymphomas. AIDS-associated NHLs are cl assified according to their anatomic site of location into three class es: (1) systemic (both nodal as well as extranodal), (2) primary centr al nervous system, and (3) body cavity-based lymphomas.(2) We present a case report of a patient with HIV infection who presented with abdom inal pain and distension and was found to have an intraabdominal type of Burkitt's lymphoma. This case underlines the following points: 1. T n the evaluation of acute abdominal disease in a patient with AIDS, bo th AIDS-related infections as well as malignancies should be sought in the differential diagnosis. 2. Computed tomographic scanning of the a bdomen is the modality of choice for characterization of disease as we ll as direction of appropriate therapy. 3. AIDS-related NHL remains an important biologic model for investigating the development and progre ssion of lymphomas in the immune-deficient host. 4. With the improved survival of patients with AIDS secondary to better prevention and trea tment of infections, there may be an increase in AIDS-associated malig nancies; therefore, further research pertaining to the development and characterization of therapy modalities of such malignant tumors is ma ndatory.