Signs and Symptoms of Burkitt's Lymphoma

Burkitt's lymphoma, commonly known as malignant lymphoma, is a form of lymphoma of the lymphatic system in individuals. Burkitt's lymphoma was named after Denis Burkitt, a scientist who had first discovered and described the disease. It is a highly aggressive form of lymphoma which involves the B-lymphocytes present in the body of individuals. This form of cancer mainly occurs in young children predominantly in Central Africa.

Types

There are two main forms of Burkitt's lymphoma. These two forms are endemic Burkitt's lymphoma and sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma. Endemic lymphoma is more common than the sporadic lymphoma and is mostly found in regions around the equatorial regions of Central Africa. On the other hand, sporadic lymphoma is present in various other areas and regions of the world--though the prevalence of this disease is just about 2 percent when compared with the endemic form.

Symptoms

Endemic lymphoma is the most prevalent disease among children near Central Africa. The main cause of this disease has been found to be chronic malaria. According to research, malaria tends to decrease the resistance towards Epstein Barr virus, which leads to the development of endemic lymphoma. The common symptoms associated with this type of lymphoma include swelling and inflammation of the jaw line, swelling of the facial bone, problems in digestion and weakness even while sitting idle.

Sporadic Lymphoma

Sporadic lymphoma is a type of Burkitt's lymphoma that is found in non-African nations. The degeneration and formation of the tumor cells generally occurs in the similar pattern as in the endemic form. However, the symptoms of sporadic lymphoma differ drastically from the endemic form. The common symptoms associated with sporadic lymphoma include inflammation and tumors near the ileum and caecum present in the body. Tumors also form in the bone marrow of the patients, who experience other less common symptoms, such as the swelling of the cheek bone and salivary gland tumors.

Other Symptoms of Burkitt's Lymphoma

Other common symptoms associated with both the forms of Burkitt's lymphoma include tumors of the cervical lymph node, abdominal cancer, excessive sweating during night time, drastic loss of weight and high fever.

Common Signs Associted With Burkitt's Lymphoma

Common signs associated with Burkitt's lymphoma include lymphoma near the lower abdomen and commonly the lymph nodes. However, the lymphoma can spread to various other organs of the body, and also a patient may suddenly fall ill as this disease does not take much time in spreading through various parts of the body.