Cytogenetic evaluation of bone marrow involvement in Burkitt's lymphoma.

Twenty-six bone marrow samples from 21 patients with Burkitt's lymphoma were examined cytogenetically after short-term culture. Clonal chromosomal changes were detected in one of 18 samples from morphologically normal marrows, and in three out of six samples with verified tumor invasion. Three patients had the translocation (8;14)(q24;q32) and one had t(2;8)(p12;q24). Two samples with suspect tumor involvement (less than 5% putative tumor cells) showed no clonal abnormalities. In two samples without morphologic bone marrow infiltration and with only normal metaphases in short-term cultures, clones with t(8;14)(q24;q32) were revealed after a longer time (3-12 weeks) spent in vitro.