Resection of a colonic mass following trauma: a diagnostic dilemma

A 53-year-old Caucasian male presented with a 2-week history of abdominal distension, pain, nausea and lethargy. His symptoms began 1 day after an all-terrain vehicle accident during which he suffered blunt-force trauma to his mid-right abdomen. CT scan demonstrated abnormal thickening of the ascending colon and terminal ilium with surrounding inflammation within the retroperitoneum and colonic mesentery. Given his likely mechanism and symptomatic improvement, he was initially managed conservatively. However, he was readmitted with recurrence of symptoms, and a repeat CT scan demonstrated no interval improvement. An exploratory laparotomy was performed and a firm, fixed mass of the right-colon and colonic mesentery was found. Final histopathology of the mass revealed a diffuse lymphoid infiltrate with numerous mitotic figures and apoptotic cells. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for CD45, CD20, CD10, and BCL-6 and negative for CD3, TdT, and BCL-2, indicating a diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma.