Disseminated Burkitt's lymphoma in a child with AIDS

Rarity of HIV-associated disseminated lymphomas in children initiated this report. The patient was an 18-month-old girl who had a history of chronic cervical lymphadenopathy since 6 months of age. She was first seen because of rapid enlargement of an inguinal lymphnode. The bone marrow aspirate was compatible with Burkitt's lymphoma, L3 cell-type. She was treated with chemotherapy without satisfactory success. She developed neurological involvement of lymphoma. Accidental sharp injury which contaminated her blood, in a medical personnel leaded to having her blood tested for anti-HIV and it was found positive. Her mother had positive anti-HIV presumably acquired from blood transfusion after an abortion in early 1988. It occurred before the donated blood was compulsively tested for anti-HIV. She died at the age of 24 months.