Epstein barr virus-associated pediatric neoplasms

Abstract

More than 90% of the world population experience the infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), this virus has the potential to survive in B cells for the entire life period of infected individuals. However, if the balance between host and virus is disturbed, silent EBV infection could change to neoplasms. Socioeconomic factors affect exposure to EBV so the age of primary infection varies worldwide. In underdeveloped population infection occurs at lower age and EBV infection remains subclinical in high number of patients. Different neoplasms associated with EBV infection are EBV-positive Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), EBV-associated Burkitt lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), smooth muscle tumor and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This review article presents detail information about pathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment of pediatric patients with these disorders.