Prognostic factors in acute lymphoid leukaemia of childhood. I. Cytogenetic studies.

The results of chromosonal analysis of bone-marrow cells of 30 children with untreated acute lymphoid leukaemia are reported. On the basis of the modal chromosome number found in the cell clone showing the most frequent aberration, the patients could be classified into hypodiploid, pseudodiploid, hyperploid and normal groups. Pseudodiploidy predicted a poor prognosis while the survival rate of patients with normal or hyperploid chromosome counts was favourable.