Epstein-Barr virus and epithelial cells: implications for the otolaryngologist.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is an oncogenic herpesvirus associated with two human malignancies. Initially linked in the etiology of Burkitt's lymphoma, a B cell lymphoma, it has subsequently been implicated in the causation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, an epithelial tumor of considerable world health importance. More recently a number of head and neck tumors have been shown to harbor the virus, suggesting a possible role for EBV in their development.