Emergence of a cell line with extreme hypodiploidy in blast crisis of chronic myelocytic leukemia

Cytogenetic studies in a patient with chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) demonstrated the emergence of an extremely hypodiploid cell line at the time of blast crisis, a modal chromosome number of 35, with the modal karyotype 35,XY, -3, -4, -5, -7, -9, -11, -12, -13, -15, -16, -17, -19, -20, -22, + t(9;22) (q34;q11, + Mar1, + Mar2, + Mar3. Giemsa-banding confirmed complex chromosome rearrangements and demonstrated distinct banding patterns for the marker chromosomes. Cytologic characteristics of the leukemia blasts were predominantly myeloid. There was no important clinical response to chemotherapy, including vincristine and prednisone, or to radiotherapy.