A Danish adult case of EBV-positive Burkitt's lymphoma

A 50-year-old Danish male presenting with swelling in fossa supraclavicularis and slight swelling of axillary and inguinal lymphnodes was diagnosed histologically as having malignant, non-Hodgkin, blast lymphoma. The EBV association was established by demonstration of EBV-DNA-positive tumor cells and the presence of high titers of antibodies of the IgG class to VCA, EA (D) and EBNA. The unique finding in this case was the high titers of IgA antibodies to VCA and to EA (D). This latter serological picture is characteristic of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) but has not previously been observed in Burkitt's lymphoma.