Burkitt lymphoma and Williams syndrome: a model for children with a multisystem disorder and malignancy.

Department of Pediatrics/Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. cthorn@med.umich.edu

The authors describe a child with Williams syndrome who developed Burkitt lymphoma with a t(8;14). Williams syndrome is a contiguous gene syndrome that is not associated with a predilection for cancer. However, the management of a child with Williams syndrome and a malignancy is complicated by underlying disease in multiple organs. In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics published health care guidelines for children with Williams syndrome. These guidelines were adopted in the treatment of this child. Disease-specific guidelines should be applied to other children with multisystem disorders such as Down syndrome that require treatment of a malignancy.

PMID: 15701989 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]