Case Report
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2009; 15(45): 5746-5750
Published online Dec 7, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.5746
Complete remission of gastric Burkitt’s lymphoma after eradication of Helicobacter pylori
Isabelle Baumgaertner, Christiane Copie-Bergman, Michael Levy, Corinne Haioun, Antoine Charachon, Maryse Baia, Iradj Sobhani, Jean-Charles Delchier
Isabelle Baumgaertner, Michael Levy, Antoine Charachon, Iradj Sobhani, Jean-Charles Delchier, Department of Gastroenterology, AP-HP, Henri Mondor Hospital, Paris 12 University, 51 avenue du maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Créteil 94000, France
Christiane Copie-Bergman, Maryse Baia, Department of Pathology, AP-HP, Henri Mondor Hospital, Paris 12 University, 51 avenue du maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Créteil 94000, France
Corinne Haioun, Department of Hematology, AP-HP, Henri Mondor Hospital, Paris 12 University, 51 avenue du maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Créteil 94000, France
Author contributions: Delchier JC managed the patient; Baumgaertner I, Haioun C, Charachon A, Sobhani I and Delchier JC wrote the paper; Copie-Bergman C and Baia M performed pathology; Levy M performed endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography.
Correspondence to: Jean-Charles Delchier, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, AP-HP, Henri Mondor Hospital, Paris 12 University, 51 avenue du maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Créteil 94000, France. jean-charles.delchier@hmn.aphp.fr
Telephone: +33-1-49812351 Fax: +33-1-49812352
Received: August 11, 2009
Revised: September 24, 2009
Accepted: October 1, 2009
Published online: December 7, 2009
Abstract

Burkitt’s lymphoma is a highly aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, often presenting in extra-nodal sites. It generally has a poor spontaneous outcome and needs aggressive treatment with systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy. Occurrence at the gastric site is rare. We report the case of a 39-year old woman who presented with a prominent ulcerated lesion of the antrum corresponding histologically to a Burkitt’s lymphoma associated with Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated c-MYC gene rearrangement in tumour cells without BCL2 or BCL6 gene translocations. Ulcer healing and tumour regression with a complete histological response were obtained 8 wk after H pylori eradication. In spite of this complete remission, taking into account the high risk of recurrence, the patient received systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy. Two years later, the patient remained in complete remission. This is the first report of a gastric Burkitt’s lymphoma responding to H pylori eradication. These findings raise the question of the potential role of H pylori in the pathogenesis of some gastric Burkitt’s lymphomas, and show the importance of searching for and eradicating the bacteria in combination with conventional chemotherapy regimens.

Keywords: Burkitt’s lymphoma; Gastric lymphoma; Helicobacter pylori; Therapy