Burkitt Lymphoma

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. The disease is associated with Epstein Barr virus (EBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and chromosomal translocations that cause the overexpression of oncogene C-MYC. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies BL into three clinical groups: endemic, sporadic and immunodeficiency-related. The endemic form is linked to malaria and EBV. The immunodeficiency-related variant is associated with HIV and to a lesser extent, organ transplantation. With intense chemotherapy treatment disease prognosis is excellent in children but poor in adults.