ROBERTSONIAN TRANSLOCATION AS AN ACQUIRED KARYOTYPIC ABNORMALITY IN LEUKEMIA

Robertsonian translocations, although relatively common as a constitut ional genetic aberration, are rarely encountered in leukaemia. We repo rt a case of acute myeloid leukaemia which showed an acquired Robertso nian translocation in the form of der( 14;21) by cytogenetic analysis of leukaemic cells. This was confirmed by the PHA-stimulated culture o f peripheral blood lymphocytes. A review of the literature identifies only eight reported cases of acquired Robertsonian translocations in l eukaemia, In the majority of cases the Robertsonian translocation occu rs as a secondary change in a complex abnormal clone, whereas in two o ut of nine patients reported, including ours, it is found as a sole ka ryotypic abnormality.