Question

An African child is found to have a mass in the jaw. A biopsy of the mass was done, and it appears as shown in the image below. The child also had a translocation of t(8;14). What is the probable diagnosis?

• A. Acute myeloid leukemia
• B. Follicular lymphoma
• C. Multiple myeloma
• D. Burkitt lymphoma

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

This pathology question involves identifying a disease based on several critical pieces of information: the presence of a mass in the jaw of an African child, characteristic features observed in a biopsy, and a specific chromosomal translocation t(8;14). These clues point toward a specific diagnosis, namely Burkitt lymphoma. Here's the detailed breakdown:

1. Mass in the Jaw: In African children, a jaw mass can often be an endemic form of Burkitt lymphoma, which is the most common pediatric cancer in regions where malaria is prevalent.
2. Biopsy Features: Although the specific features aren’t described in text form, biopsy images of Burkitt lymphoma typically show a "starry sky" appearance due to macrophages ingesting apoptotic cells amidst a background of small, non-cleaved B-cells.
3. Translocation t(8;14): This genetic change is a hallmark of Burkitt lymphoma. The translocation causes constitutive activation of the MYC oncogene, contributing to the highly proliferative nature of the lymphoma.

Considering these crucial diagnostic points, the most probable diagnosis for this child is Burkitt lymphoma, matching the provided option. Each clue distinctly leads to this conclusion based on the location, age group, and genetic anomaly.