Burkitt's lymphoma: a child's case presenting in the maxilla. Clinical and radiological aspects.

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) is a neoplasm which, despite its very aggressive behaviour is potentially curable. It typically affects the paediatric population. BL belongs to the non-Hodgkin lymphomas group, and is the first human tumour undoubtedly related to a viral origin (Epstein-Barr virus). Two main clinical subtypes are recognized: endemic or African type, and sporadic type; HIV associated BL constitutes a third type. Although common in endemic BL, maxillary involvement is rare in sporadic cases. This, together with the clinical lack of specificity associated to this location, makes diagnosis difficult. New chemotherapeutic protocols achieve a high survival rate. Most important prognostic factors are location and tumour stage. We report a paediatric case of BL presenting in the maxilla, with a review and a description of the characteristics of the disease.