Unbalanced 1;7 translocation in myelodysplastic syndrome following treatment of acute myeloblastic leukemia with an 8;21 translocation.

The chromosome der(1;7)(q10;p10) consists of the short arm of chromosome 7 and the long arm of chromosome 1, and is a common abnormality in treatment-related leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Here we describe a 39-year-old Japanese man with acute myeloblastic leukemia (FAB-M2) exhibiting t(8;21)(q22;q22). He entered complete remission after induction therapy, and intensification therapy including alkylating agents was subsequently continued for 3 years. The patient then developed pancytopenia; bone marrow aspiration revealed myelodysplastic syndrome exhibiting the der (1;7) chromosome. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of such an abnormality in myelodysplastic syndrome secondary to acute myeloblastic leukemia with the 8;21 translocation.