[Unilateral tonsillar enlargement in children: thinking about lymphoma]

Ultrasound features of primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the palatine tonsil: A case report

BACKGROUND

Lymphomas are the second most common malignancy of the head and neck. In this region, the vast majority of extranodal lymphomas are located in the palatine tonsil, accounting for about 51%. Tonsillar lymphomas are aggressive tumors with intermediate- or high-grade histology. We here report a case of primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the palatine tonsil and analyze its ultrasound features.

CASE SUMMARY

A 40-year-old man presented with right palatine tonsil swelling for 2 mo after a cold, accompanied by dysphagia, snoring, and suffocation. He had no sore throat, fever, or history of upper respiratory tract infection or tuberculosis. The patient was generally in good health and denied other diseases. He was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis initially and treated with antibiotics for 7 d. However, there was no improvement with the treatment. Tonsil biopsy and ultrasound-guided biopsy of the biggest lymph node of the right neck showed the typical pathology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

CONCLUSION

Primary lymphoma of the tonsils is rare, and its diagnosis is challenging. Ultrasound is a useful modality in diagnosing oropharyngeal diseases, and can clearly show the features of this tumor, but the final diagnosis should be established by histology.

[Burkitt's lymphoma of the oral cavity: about a case]

Burkitt's lymphoma (LB) is a type of malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma originating from malignant B-cell transformation and proliferation. Positive confirmation is based on biopsy of the tumor mass or bone marrow aspiration revealing the presence of tumor cells. We here report the case of a young man, about twenty years old, addressed for post tooth extraction gingival swellings evolving for 1 month. Anatomopathologic examination after biopsy complemented by immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma. Treatment was based on chemotherapy. Although Burkitt's lymphoma is rare, it is an aggressive tumor that represents a real public health problem, hence the role of the dentists in early diagnosis, in order to allow rapid and appropriate management of the disease which is vital to the healing process.