Head and neck tumours: Burkitt lymphoma of the jaw: practice question

A ENT question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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ENT · Head and neck tumours: Burkitt lymphoma of the jaw

Sample item

A 7-year-old from sub-Saharan Africa has a rapidly enlarging jaw mass with loosening of teeth. Biopsy shows sheets of monomorphic lymphoid cells with a starry-sky pattern. Which translocation is expected?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. t(8;14) involving MYC

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma often presents as a jaw mass in children and is linked to EBV. The hallmark is t(8;14), which places MYC under the immunoglobulin heavy chain promoter. The other translocations belong to follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and chronic myeloid leukaemia respectively.

Option by option

  • A. t(9;22) involving BCR-ABL

    t(9;22) is the Philadelphia chromosome of chronic myeloid leukaemia.

  • B. t(8;14) involving MYC (correct)

    Correct. t(8;14) deregulates MYC in Burkitt lymphoma.

  • C. t(14;18) involving BCL2

    t(14;18) is characteristic of follicular lymphoma.

  • D. t(11;14) involving cyclin D1

    t(11;14) is characteristic of mantle cell lymphoma.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More ENT questions

Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is B, t(8;14) involving MYC. Endemic Burkitt lymphoma often presents as a jaw mass in children and is linked to EBV.

Why is "t(9;22) involving BCR-ABL" not the answer?

t(9;22) is the Philadelphia chromosome of chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Why is "t(14;18) involving BCL2" not the answer?

t(14;18) is characteristic of follicular lymphoma.

Why is "t(11;14) involving cyclin D1" not the answer?

t(11;14) is characteristic of mantle cell lymphoma.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck tumours: Burkitt lymphoma of the jaw in ENT. The hallmark is t(8;14), which places MYC under the immunoglobulin heavy chain promoter. The other translocations belong to follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and chronic myeloid leukaemia respectively.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Head and neck tumours: Burkitt lymphoma of the jaw?

Learn tuning fork results and audiogram patterns by sketching them. Then use the flashcards and the other ENT questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.