Diagnosis in childhood abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
The role of surgery has changed substantially over the years in abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma. Laparotomy without total excision of the tumor does not have a positive effect on survival, might cause complications, and delays initiation of chemotherapy. Here we present our diagnostic management of patients with abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma.


METHODS
The diagnostic methods of abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma cases treated between January 1999 and December 2009 were evaluated retrospectively.


RESULTS
Of the 48 abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma patients, 13 also had extra-abdominal site involvement. Diagnosis was made with ultrasound-guided tru-cut needle biopsy of the abdominal mass (n = 11), fluid cytology (n = 7), extra-abdominal site biopsy (n = 4), bone marrow aspiration (n = 2), gastroscopy (n = 1), and laparotomy (n = 23). In patients diagnosed with laparotomy, chemotherapy was started in 4-22 days (median 7) compared with patients diagnosed with other diagnostic interventions in 2-4 days (median 2) (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the most frequently used technique is laparotomy and open biopsy in our series, other methods provided quicker initiation of chemotherapy and less surgical morbidity. Especially in patients with high stages, cytological evaluation and tru-cut needle biopsy with radiological guidance is a better alternative of laparotomy.
Vural
Sema
S
Pediatric Oncology, Sisli Etfal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Baskin
Didem
D
Dogan
Oner
O
Polat
Nedim
N
Caliskan
Can
C
Urganci
Nafiye
N
Karaman
Serap
S
D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate