Involvement of chromosomes 4, 11, and 17 in a case of myelodysplastic syndrome.

A case of myelodysplastic syndrome in a 68-year-old male in whose marrow cells two translocations were established, i.e., t(4;11)(q13;q23) and t(11;17)(p?:q11), as well as other karyotypic changes (-6,-18,15p+), is described. The relation and identity of the bands involved in the translocations affecting chromosomes #11 and #17 in leukemias in which these chromosomes are specifically affected, i.e., t(4;11) in acute myelomonocytic leukemia and t(15;17) in acute promyelocytic leukemia, are discussed in relation to the case described.