Burkitt lymphoma of a palatine tonsil

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) comprise 7-10% of all malignant tumors in childhood. Early systems of classification (Rappaport, Luke-Collins) have been improved with the Working Formulation. NHL are classified into low, intermediate and high-grade disease. Head and neck manifestations of Burkitt's lymphoma are encountered in less than a quarter of the reported cases and usually present as cervical adenopathy. Parapharyngeal space and extranodal disease are unusual sites of involvement. We present a case of tonsillar lymphoma diagnosed with fine-needle biopsy and confirmed with excisional biopsy. Accurate staging (stage IV) and chemotherapy regimen was promptly begun. We review the clinical aspects, pathologic features and treatment of this disease.