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.