Gross & microscopic appearance	Pathologic basis of disease	Clinical correlation	
Microscopic:
•	Involved tissues are diffusely effaced by intermediate-sized tumor cells.
•	Cells medium-sized & uniform.
•	Cells contain round or oval nuclei with coarse chromatin, several nucleoli, & a moderate amount of faintly basophilic cytoplasm.
•	Scattering of macrophages containing debris derived from very rapid cell turnover – ‘starry sky’ appearance.	Etiology:
•	Encountered in particular terrains with similar climatic characteristics in equatorial Africa, Nigeria, New Guinea & South America where malaria is endmic.
•	All forms of Burkitt lymphoma are highly associated with translocations of the c-MYC gene on chromosome 8, t(8:14).
•	All African tumors are latently affected with Epstein-Barr virus.	•	Disease usually first appears in the jaws or ovaries, but grows rapidly & extensively, leading quickly to complications.
•	Physical effects of sheer tumor bulk destroy & distort organs & tissues.
•	Very rapid tumor cell turnover releases metabolites in excess, e.g. lactic acidosis.
•	Defective immune response due to T cell deficiency.
•	Disease is aggressive, but responds well to short-term, high-dose chemotherapy, with many patients appeared to be cure.