An adult B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia with multiple secondary cytogenetic aberrations

BACKGROUND: We report a clinically diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with yet unreported secondary chromosomal aberrations. RESULTS: A complete cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic analysis, using GTG banding, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and array-proven multicolor banding (aMCB), for a female patient with clinically diagnosed ALL and immunophenotypically confirmed pre-B ALL (FAB classifications), revealed the presence of a complex structural rearrangement, der (2) (20qter- > 20q13.33::2q21- > 2p14::2q21 > 2qter) along with t (9;22) (q34;q11), t (12;14) (q12;p12) and a monosomy of chromosome 7. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular cytogenetic studies are suited best for identification and characterization of chromosomal rearrangements in acute leukemia. Single case reports as well as large scale studies are necessary to provide further insights in karyotypic changes taking place in human malignancies.