Intussusception as a presentation of Burkitt’s lymphoma: a case series

Abstract

Background Intussusception remains one of the most common emergencies in pediatrics. It typically occurs between six months and three years of age, but it can be observed in all age groups. Intussusception usually presents with traditionally described symptoms; however, it is believed that the older the patient, the higher the risk of an existing pathological lead point, which could be associated with less characteristic symptoms. It is crucial to make a timely diagnosis when intussusception is caused by a malignancy, such as Burkitt’s lymphoma, as the treatment of limited-stage Burkitt’s lymphoma has become very successful in recent years. Aim of the study The authors performed an analysis of all patients who presented to the clinic with intussusception caused by Burkitt’s lymphoma to determine whether there are characteristic symptoms in this group of patients that would enable faster implementation of oncological diagnostics. Case series Four patients with an average age of eight years presented with intussusception as the first sign of Burkitt’s lymphoma. They usually presented with a history of recurrent abdominal pain lasting for a few weeks. In three cases, a pathological lead point was visualized during the initial ultrasound examination. All of the patients were treated surgically. The stage of disease ranged from I to III, according to the St. Jude staging system. Conclusions Based on our small group of patients, we were able to observe some characteristic symptoms that are different from those most commonly seen in spontaneous intussusception: several weeks of recurrent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. These observations are consistent with the spectrum and frequency of symptoms reported in the literature. The presence of a constellation of specific clinical features should allow clinicians to immediately suspect neoplastic diseases.