Precursor B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma presenting as an isolated external ear swelling in a two-year-old child

The incidence of lymphoma in children is increasing in the United States and is the third most common childhood cancer. The head and neck is second only to the abdomen as the most common site of extranodal presentations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We present and discuss the diagnosis and management of the first report of a child with an auricular mass as the sole manifestation of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In summary, the otolaryngologist and pediatrician should be cognizant of potential for NHL in atypical lesions of the head and neck in children.