Why is That Chin Numb? A Case of Burkitt's Lymphoma Presenting as Numb Chin Syndrome

We report a case of numb chin syndrome (NCS) that preceded the diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) and discuss our findings with emphasis on metastatic malignancies in general and BL in particular causing NCS. A 73-year-old woman presented with worsening right-sided back pain for a week along with right-sided leg weakness and a progressive thigh and perianal numbness. She reported numbness of the chin which started two weeks prior. MRI showed compression of the cauda equina which was highly suggestive of neoplastic process. After debulking mass surgery, biopsy of the tissue from spine revealed BL. The patient received a round of radiotherapy of spine and multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Six months later she had reoccurrence of lymphoma with metastasis and eventually passed away. Presence of NCS in the setting of an underlying malignancy indicates very poor prognosis. In appropriate clinical setting, NCS should trigger work up for an underlying malignancy.