Clonal chromosome abnormalities in two chemodectomas.

Short-term cultures from two histologically benign chemodectomas, one from the carotid body and one from the vagal nerve, were analyzed cytogenetically. The former had a small abnormal clone with the karyotype 46,XX,t(3;19)(q21;q13),t(12;15) (p13;q12-14), whereas the majority of the cells from the latter tumor displayed two related abnormal clones: 46,XY,i(I)(q10)/ 46,iderm,add(2)(q37). The findings add to the evidence that chemodectomas are heterogeneous neoplasms and suggest that the heterogeneity may possibly be associated with the site of origin.