Comparison of peripheral blood interphase cytogenetics with bone marrow karyotype analysis in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia

In a prospective study of 42 patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metap lasia (MMM), peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) interphase cytogene tics and PB CD34 enumeration were performed concomitantly with BM karyotype analysis. Interphase cytogenetics was performed with a panel of fluorescen ce in situ hybridization (FISH) probes that were capable of detecting most of the known recurrent cytogenetic lesions in MMM. There was a close concor dance in the results of interphase cytogenetics between PB and BM, regardle ss of the PB CD34 count. In general, FISH-detectable abnormalities were als o detected by BM karyotype. Although complementary, interphase cytogenetics may not always provide the necessary karyotypic information in MMM.