Burkitt's lymphoma presenting as lower lip paraesthesia in a 24 year old Nigerian. Case report

An unusual case of stage D Burkitt's lymphoma in a 24 year old Nigerian fem ale undergraduate is reported. There was a four month history of left lower lip paraesthesia followed three months later by a slowly progressive 'pimp le-sized' nodular mandibular swelling arising from the mental foramen regio n. A full-blown, rapidly developing abdominal mass manifested only three we eks after a biopsy of the mandibular swelling. Aspiration of the latter and a histologic report of the mandibular mass confirmed Burkitt's lymphoma. T he patient responded very well to appropriate chemotherapy. Clinicians shou ld not overlook insidious jaw swellings in any adult residing in the endemi c zone of Burkitt's lymphoma, in view of the fact that successful therapy i s dependent on early diagnosis. Mental nerve paraesthesia is very rarely se en in Burkitt's lymphoma.