2017 Volume 54 Issue 2 Pages 133-137
We report a case of primary Burkitt lymphoma of the appendix presenting as acute appendicitis. A 16-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal pain of 9-days’ duration shifting to the right lower quadrant, vomiting, and fever. He was clinically diagnosed as having acute appendicitis, and appendectomy was performed. He was histopathologically diagnosed as having appendiceal Burkitt lymphoma. PET-CT showed FDG uptake in the enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, and we determined that he had stage III lymphoma. Two months after the operation, he started to receive four courses of chemotherapy based on the LMB/FAB96 protocol and he was in complete remission for 18 months from the time of diagnosis. Appendiceal lymphoma is reported to develop more insidiously than nontumoral acute appendicitis, and to show extended dilatation of the appendiceal lumen with its vermiform morphology maintained. When these findings are seen in patients with appendicitis, lymphoma should be ruled out.
