Gastrointestinal and oncologic outcomes of pediatric gastrointestinal lymphoma following upfront resection or biopsy of bowel masses

Surgical management of children with Burkitt's lymphoma involving the gastrointestinal tract

PURPOSE

To investigate the clinical characteristics and surgical management of children with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) involving the gastrointestinal tract.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 87 pediatric patients diagnosed with BL involving the gastrointestinal tract and treated surgically at Beijing Children's Hospital (2008-2022). All patients were histopathologically confirmed with BL and diagnosed with gastrointestinal involvement through imaging studies and surgery. Clinical data were reviewed and analyzed.

RESULTS

Among 87 patients, 79 were male and 8 were female, with an average age of 6.8 ± 3.3 years. Predominant clinical manifestations included abdominal pain (74/87, 85.1%) and abdominal mass (45/87, 51.7%). The ileocecal region (31/87, 35.6%) was the most frequent involvement site. The presence of intussusception (58/87, 66.7%) was the main indication for surgery, of which 56 (56/58, 96.6%) underwent enterectomy and anastomosis. Twenty-two (22/87, 25.3%) patients underwent surgery for abdominal mass, with 15 (15/22, 68.2%) receiving an open biopsy. During the follow-up period, 2 patients (2/83, 2.4%) experienced recurrence, 4 patients (4/83, 4.8%) required reoperation, and no deaths were reported.

CONCLUSION

The main surgical indications for gastrointestinal BL are intussusception and abdominal mass. Surgery plays a crucial role in resolving intussusception, clarifying the diagnosis, and ultimately facilitating the timely initiation of chemotherapy without delay.