A FIVE-YEAR REPORT ON PRESENTATIONS AND VARIANTS OF NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA AMONG CHILDREN ADMITTED TO Ahwaz Iran SHAFA HOSPITAL

Nonhodgkin Lymphoma is the most common lymphoma in children and is due to malignant proliferation of lymphoid linage cells. This disease involves 60 % of childhood lymphoma and is the third most common malignancy in children. Early diagnosis of this disease is detrimental in its treatment. The goal of this cross sectional study was to evaluate the presentation and the variants of this disease among children admitted to Shafa hospital Ahwaz Iran. The data were collected from medical documents of all children with lymphoma over five years from 1996 to 2001. The results of this study showed that the commonest non-Hodgkin lymphoma was Burkit lymphoma followed by lymphoblastic lymphoma. Large cell lymphoma was the third most common type. The most common presentations were abdominal pain and adominal mass. While lymphadenopathy was the next common presentation and mediasternal involvement with dispnea was the third most common presentation. In this study, 74 % of patients were males and 60 % of patients were at stage III of their disease at first presentation, suggesting delayed diagnosis. The findings of this study suggest the in order to come to correct and early diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma complete examination should be undertaken in children who present with abdominal pain with especial attention should be direct to enlarged lymphnodes and notified systemic signs, such as fever, weight loss and anorexia. Furthermore, for ruling out mediasternal involvement, chest radiography is very helpful in diagnosis in children with dyspnea.