Burkitt leukemia, presentation and survival; report of two cases and review of the literature

Leucemia de Burkitt, forma de presentación y sobrevida. Reporte de dos casos y revisión de literatura

Introduction: Burkitt leukemia is a rare entity, also called Burkitt acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and is considered a variant of Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia (B-ALL). It has characteristics similar to acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common cancer in children, which is why it should be taken into account in clinical practice. The objective of this article is to present two clinical cases, a rare entity that represents approximately 2% of acute lymphoblastic leukemias in pediatrics. Clinical cases: Two cases of Burkitt leukemia with typical characteristics are presented., with abdominal predominance, consistent with what has been described in the literature as sites of greatest occurrence according to subtype. In this article, the cases were confirmed histologically and immunophenotypically. Discussion: This entity is an aggressive lymphoma, described last century by Denis Burkitt in Africa. It represents the majority of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in children, being less common but more lethal when diagnosed in adults. The etiology is unknown, but risk factors, such as some viral infections, have been described. The prognosis depends on the response to first-line management. Refractory or relapsed Burkitt lymphoma is difficult to successfully treat. Conclusion: Burkitt lymphoma is a heterogeneous disease; despite its rapid progression, it is one of the types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with the best prognosis. More than 90% of children with localized tumors and more than 85% with disseminated disease are cured.