HIV-related Burkitt lymphoma with florid granulomatous reaction: an unusual case with good outcome.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Lymphoma related granulomatous reaction rarely occurs in sporadic BL. Herein, we describe the first case of HIV related Burkitt lymphoma with florid granulomatous reaction. A 41-year-old HIV-positive Chinese male presented lymphadenopathy in the right cervical region for 3 months. The enlarged lymph node biopsies revealed the presence of prominent granulomas of varying size with Langhans giant cells, leading to the misdiagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis in other hospital. Subsequently, the case was sent to us for consultation. The morphology, immunophenotype, special staining, interphase FISH analysis and blood tests confirmed a diagnosis of HIV related Burkitt lymphoma with granulomatous reaction. Without radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the patient was alive and well with no evidence of lymphoma during the observation period of 24 months. The case suggested that lymphoma with florid granulomatous reaction can easily be misdiagnosed as benign lesions since the large number of epithelioid granulomas could obscure the primary lesion. Moreover, the granulomatous reaction may be an indicator for favorable prognosis in HIV related Burkitt lymphoma.