Cytogenetic, interphase, and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridizationanalyses in primary plasma cell leukemia: a study of 40 patients at diagnosis, on behalf of the Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome and the Groupe Francais de Cytogenetique Hematologique

Primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare plasma cell malignancy. Conseq uently, few large reports have been published, Presented is a cytogenetic a nalysis of 40 patients with primary PCL compared with 247 newly diagnosed p atients with stage III multiple myeloma (MM), Cytogenetic abnormalities wer e observed in 23 of 34 patients, with usually complex hypodiploid or pseudo diploid karyotypes, Analysis of rearrangements of the 14q32 region revealed significant differences with high cell mass MM-a higher incidence of t(11; 14) (33% vs 16%; P<.025) and of t(14;16) (13% vs 1%; P<.002) though inciden ces of t(4;14) were identical and a higher incidence of monosomy 13 (68% vs 42%; P=.005), Hypodiploid karyotypes and monosomy 13 may explain, at least in part, the poorer prognosis of primary PCL, In contrast, significantly l onger survival was observed in patients displaying t(11;14) in comparison w ith those lacking this translocation (P=.001), (C) 2001 by The American Soc iety of Hematology.