EBV associated lymphomas in 2008 WHO classification

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous γ-herpes virus that asymptomatically infects more than 90% of the world's population. The exact mechanism of EBV in oncogenesis is an area of active debate. However, EBV has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several kinds of lymphomas and lymphoproliferative disorders, including B-, T- and NK-cell derived. Subsequent studies have proven that the EBV gene expression product plays an activating and/or promoting role on lymphomagenesis, and paves the way for novel cellular therapies of EBV-associated lymphomas. This review concentrates on the pathology, morphology, treatment and prognosis of EBV-associated lymphomas in the 2008 WHO classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoma tissues.