A rare case of chronic myeloid leukemia with secondary chromosomal changes including partial trisomy 17q21 to 17qter and partial monosomy of 16p13.3.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The so-called Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is present in almost all cases with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Around 5-10% of these patients show complex translocations involving other chromosomes in addition to and/or besides chromosomes 9 and 22. As nowadays most CML cases are treated with Imatinib, variant rearrangements have in general no specific prognostic significance, though events of therapy resistance remain to be studied.

RESULTS:

Here we report a Ph chromosome positive patient with hematological typical chronic phase CML. Untypically, an unbalanced complex rearrangement involving chromosomes 16 and 17 leading to a deletion of 16pter and partial trisomy of 17q21 to 17qter, was identified besides a trisomy 8 and an additional Ph chromosome in a part of malignant cells.

CONCLUSION:

Here a novel and cytogenetically unique case of a Ph chromosome positive CML clinically in chronic phase is reported, having complex secondary chromosomal aberrations. Thus, CML patients with complex chromosomal changes are nonetheless treatable by Imatinib.

• Authors: Walid Al Achkar, Abdulsamad Wafa, Hasmik Mkrtchyan, Faten Moassass, Thomas Liehr
• Journal: Molecular cytogenetics (Mol Cytogenet) Vol. 3 Pg. 6 (Mar 16 2010) ISSN: 1755-8166 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20233421 (Publication Type: Journal Article)