Orofacial manifestations of Burkitt's lymphoma in Malawi

Burkitt's lymphoma is a mature B-cell non-Hdgkin's lymphoma that is the fastest growing human tumour with a doubling time of 24 to 48 hours. It accounts for 40% to 50% of all the childhood tumours in Malawi. The purpose of this study was to determine the orofacial manifestations of Malawian children with BL with the hope that the findings will help in the education of oral and other health care professionals in the early detection of BL for prompt referral. Oral health professionals are a critical component of the referral chain since these lesions can be life threatening. However, the survival of the child depends on rapid diagnosis and treatment. In this study, the orofacial features of BL included intraosseous mass, jaw swelling (unilateral or bilateral), loose/ mobile teeth, displaced teeth, trismus, jaw deviation, Bell's palsy, salivation, cervical/ submandibular lymphadenopathy, gingival enlargement, gingival growth, diffulties with breathing, eating and speech and, jaw swelling.