A 5-year-old boy is brought to the pediatrician by his mother for concern about fever for the past week. She has also noticed swelling in the neck and jaw area over this same time. He has no significant past medical history, and family history is unremarkable. Physical examination reveals unilateral swelling of the right side of the jaw and the submandibular area. A biopsy is performed and send for flow cytometry. Histological analysis demonstrates a high mitotic index with numerous macrophages containing apoptotic cells.
Which of the following is most closely associated with the patient's condition and would be seen on flow cytometry?
A) t(8,14)
B) t(9,22)
C) t(11,14)
D) t(14,18)
E) t(15,17)
A) t(8,14)
Burkitt lymphoma is a highly aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma often associated with a translocation between c-myc oncogene (chromosome 8) and the heavy chain of chromosome 14. The sporadic variant of Burkitt lymphoma is seen in the United States and Western Europe and comprises 30 percent of pediatric lymphomas. Burkitt lymphoma is derived from germinal center B cells and is dependent on the expression of the MYC proto-oncogene located at chromosome 8q24, which encodes the MYC protein transcription factor. Chronic Epstein-Barr virus infection appears to play a role in almost all cases of endemic (African) Burkitt lymphoma and a minority of sporadic cases.
Key Learning Point
Burkitt lymphoma is a B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma often associated with a translocation between c-myc oncogene (chromosome 8) and the heavy chain of chromosome 14.
