Burkitt's lymphoma in Cameroon: a review of 300 cases in two referral health facilities in Yaounde

ABSTRACT

In this descriptive retrospective study; we reviewed 300 cases of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) diagnosed within 10 years from January 1; 2000 to December 31; 2010. The study took place in the pathology laboratories of the Central Hospital and the General Hospital in Yaounde; Cameroon. The aim was to review the anatomo-clinical and epidemiological aspects of the disease; especially with respect to its localization. We found that BL affected mostly children aged 5-14 years with peaks at 4 and 12 years. A slight male predominance was observed. The abdomino-pelvic site was more frequent (57.7%). Diagnosis of the tumor was mainly by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). About 6% of our patients tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We recommend further in-depth studies to find out if there are any emerging factors that influence the localization of the disease in endemic areas or if our finding is incidental