B‐cell acute lymphocytic leukemia in HIV‐antibody‐positive patients

B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has been well described in association with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Many of these lymphomas are of the diffuse, aggressive, subtype of B‐cell NHL, including Burkitt and Burkitt‐like lymphoma. Recently, there have been reports of B‐cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), Burkitt type, in patients who were either HIV antibody‐positive or at high risk for AIDS. We have seen three cases of B‐cell ALL, Burkitt type, and herein describe their clinical and laboratory characteristics. All patients were HIV antibody‐positive. Since stage IV Burkitt lymphoma in blood phase and B‐cell ALL, Burkitt type, represent a continuum of the same disease, and since it is also an aggressive B‐cell malignancy, we suggest that B‐cell ALL, Burkitt type, in HIV antibody‐positive patients should support the diagnosis of AIDS.