Lymphoma is one of the defining manifestations of AIDS. Most of these lymphoproliferations are high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Unlike lymphoproliferations that arise in other settings of immunodeficiency, HIV-related lymphomas have a variable association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and also contain alterations in c-myc and p53. EBV infection appears to precede clonal expansion, and its latent expression pattern (Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen1+/Epstein Barr nuclear antigen 2-/latent membrane protein+) is unique among non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Both EBV types A and B are present in HIV-related lymphomas. Mutations in c-myc include translocations and point mutations. Other altered loci include ras and bcl-6. Although all of these somatic alterations can be detected in lymphomas arising in the general population, their accumulation in a relatively short period (6 to 8 years) after HIV infection suggests an acceleration of underlying mechanisms.