Combined trisomy 1q and monosomy 7q due to translocation 1;7 in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Two patients, possibly exposed to toxic agents, presented with a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and a t(1;7) in bone marrow metaphases. This observation confirms the occurrence of this characteristic chromosome anomaly in MDS and its possible induction by environmental agents. It is hypothesized that this t(1;7) MDS may not be confined to a particular geographical area but that, in the past, it may have been overlooked in the absence of optimal banding, which is obviously necessary to identify the anomaly.