Burkitt’s lymphoma /bur″kits/ [Denis P. Burkitt, English surgeon in Africa, b. 1911] , a malignant neoplasm composed of undifferentiated lymphoreticular cells that form a large osteolytic lesion in the jaw or, in children, an abdominal mass. The tumor, which is seen chiefly in Central Africa, is characteristically a gray-white mass sometimes containing areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. Central nervous system involvement often occurs, and other organs may be affected. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpesvirus, is associated with this lymphoma; however, most non-African cases are EBV negative. Chemotherapy can often cure the disease. Also called African lymphoma, Burkitt’s tumor.
