CYTOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF SALIVARY-GLAND TYPE TUMORS

Fourteen salivary gland type tumors were analyzed with a combination o f conventional cytogenetics via GTG-banding, molecular cytogenetics vi a fluorescent in situ hybridization, and chromosome morphometry. Nine tumors were benign (eight pleomorphic adenomas and one Warthin tumor); five tumors were malignant (one carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma, two adenoid cystic carcinomas including one from the breast, a basal cell adenocarcinoma, and an acinic cell carcinoma). Thirteen specimens gre w in tissue culture; the basal cell adenocarcinoma did not grow. The W arthin tumor had a normal karyotype, one pleomorphic adenoma was norma l, one had a clone with a missing Y chromosome, and the other pleomorp hic adenomas had structural chromosomal abnormalities including the fo llowing: translocations between chromosomes 3 and 8, chromosomes 6 and 16, chromosomes 8 and 9, chromosomes 8 and 12, chromosomes 8 and 14, and chromosomes 8 and 21. Of the four malignant tumors with karyotypes , the acinic cell carcinoma and one adenoid cystic carcinoma were norm al, the second adenoid cystic carcinoma showed a normal polymorphic va riant, whereas the carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma demonstrated the f ollowing karyotype: 46,XX,dir ins(8;5)(q12;q12q35), add(12)(p13)/46,XX . In conclusion, 66% of the benign tumors and 25% of the malignant tum ors demonstrated abnormal karyotypes.