Complex translocation t(3;9;22) and paracentric inversion of chromosome 3 in blastic crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia.

We report a complex rearrangement observed in both the short and long arms of chromosome #3 in a patient with Ph-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic crisis and without thrombopoietic abnormalities. The rearrangement consisted of a complex translocation, t(3;9;22)(p21;q34;q11), and a paracentric inversion of the long arm of the same chromosome #3 involved in the translocation. Involvement of chromosome #3 in complex translocations in chronic myeloid leukemia and the relationship between 3q anomalies and thrombopoietic diseases are discussed.