CLINICAL ASPECTS, CYTOGENETICS AND DISEASE EVOLUTION IN MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROMES

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a morphologically characterized hema tologic entity that is one of the clonal myeloproliferative disorders. Approximately 50 similar to 70% of MDS patients have cytogenetic abno rmalities; these are usually chromosomal deletions, but some involve t ranslocations such as t(1;7)(q10;p10). Translocations involving chromo somal regions 3q26 or 22q11 are often therapy-related. Recent studies have demonstrated that cytogenetic changes in MDS patients have clinic al relevance. Accordingly, there are now scoring systems for predictin g the prognoses of MDS patients. In this review, we describe the clini cal significance of cytogenetic changes in MDS. We include MDS with so me atypical forms, such as MDS with hypocellular bone marrow, MDS with minimal dysplasia, and MDS with myelofibrosis.