HIDDEN CHROMOSOME-ABNORMALITIES IN A PRIMARY CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM LYMPHOMA DETECTED BY MULTICOLOR SPECTRAL KARYOTYPING

Cytogenetic analysis provides important information for diagnosis and prognosis in some tumors. But karyotype analysis can be difficult in s ome cases, because metaphase chromosomes are contracted. New technique s, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization and, more recently, spec tral karyotyping, or SKY, based on the hybridization of 24 fluorescent ly labeled chromosome painting probes, allow the detection and identif ication of complex chromosomal rearrangements. We report here a case o f primary central nervous system lymphoma in which chromosomal rearran gements and marker chromosomes not identified by a routine cytogenetic technique were clarified by SKY. This shows the value of the SKY tech nique in the cytogenetic diagnosis of tumors. (C) Elsevier Science Inc ., 1998.