Burkitt's Lymphoma (BL)is a B-cell lymphoma occurring primarily in children. Three forms exist: African (endemic), non-African (sporadic), and immunodeficiency-related. It is the fastest growing human malignancy.
While the Epstein-Barr virus is strongly implicated in the endemic form of this disease, it is not known whether the virus causes this form of lymphoma.
Burkitt's lymphoma also occurs frequently in patients with AIDS. Therefore, it may be what is called an AIDS-defining disease, meaning that a diagnosis of BL may be the precursor to an AIDS diagnosis.
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