also  Burkitt lymphoma  n :  a malignant lymphoma that affects primarily the upper and lower jaws, orbit, retroperitoneal tissues situated near the pancreas, kidneys, ovaries, testes, thyroid, adrenal glands, heart, and pleura, that occurs esp. in children of central Africa, and that is associated with Epstein-Barr virus
 
Bur•kitt, Denis Parsons (1911-1993), British surgeon. In 1957 while in Uganda, Burkitt identified for the first time the cancer that now bears his name. In 1970 he published a monograph entitled Burkitt's Lymphoma.
 
 
 
Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.  © 1997-2024.