Burkitt Lymphoma Flashcards
(11 cards)
Mnemonic for Burkett lymphoma
For Burkitt’s, I imagined a man named Colonel Mike Burkitt (C-myc Burkitt) giving a speech at 8:14pm under a starry sky.
Burkitt lymphoma: Presents classically as jaw lesion in African boy
What type of translocation is associated with Burkitt lymphoma?
t(8;14) translocation of c-myc gene; can rarely be t(2;8) or t(8;22)
The c-myc gene is critical in cell growth and division, and its translocation contributes to the development of Burkitt lymphoma.
What is the role of c-myc in Burkitt lymphoma?
c-myc is a transcription factor
Transcription factors like c-myc regulate the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and survival.
What is a classic presentation of Burkitt lymphoma?
Presents classically as jaw lesion in African boy, or as abdominal lesion.
How is Burkitt lymphoma histologically characterized?
Buzzy ‘starry sky’ appearance
This appearance is due to the presence of numerous macrophages admixed with B cells.
What are the macrophages called that are seen in the histology of Burkitt lymphoma?
Tingible body macrophages
These macrophages are responsible for phagocytosing apoptotic B cells.
What is the function of tingible body macrophages in Burkitt lymphoma?
Phagocytose lymphomatous B cells undergoing apoptosis
This process helps clear dead cells, but the cancer continues to grow due to a higher proliferation rate.
True or False: Tingible body macrophages undergo apoptosis in Burkitt lymphoma.
False
Tingible body macrophages do not undergo apoptosis; they are involved in the phagocytosis of apoptotic B cells.
What is the relationship between cell proliferation and apoptosis in Burkitt lymphoma?
The rate of proliferation far exceeds that of apoptosis
This imbalance is crucial for the growth and spread of the lymphoma.
Burkitt lymphoma: Histo is buzzy “starry sky” appearance, which is a background of basophilic (purple) B cells with translucent macrophages.
