[Signification of Epstein-Barr virus detection in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with human immunodeficiency virus related Burkitt lymphoma].

The significance of Epstein-Barr virus detection in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Burkitt lymphoma is poorly studied. We report the case of a patient with immunodeficiency associated Burkitt lymphoma in complete remission who presented 5 months after the end of treatment, an isolated optic neuritis. Lumbar puncture found lymphocytic meningitis and the viral load of Epstein-Barr virus was 234,000 copies per milliliter in the cerebrospinal fluid. These symptoms could be explained by Epstein-Barr virus meningoencephalitis but the detection of MYC rearrangements in the cerebrospinal fluid confirms the diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma cerebral relapse. The detection of the Epstein-Barr virus DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid should be interpreted with caution.