Translocation 2;11 in a fibroma of tendon sheath.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether fibromas of tendon sheath represent a reactive fibrosing process or whether they are neoplastic, we investigated the chromosomes of the proliferating cells. A clonally occurring karyotypic abnormality would be an argument in favour of these fibromas being neoplastic.


RESULTS
A biopsy specimen of a fibroma of tendon sheath was cultured after collagenase exposure leading to dissociation of the tissue. The cultured cells were harvested after 4 days and chromosome analysis done according to standard procedures. Ten out of 20 karyotyped cells showed an identical chromosome abnormality characterized by a t(2;11)(q31-32;q12). The other 10 cells showed a normal 46,XX karyotype.


CONCLUSIONS
The clonally occurring chromosome abnormality found in this fibroma of tendon sheath suggests that this proliferation is neoplastic and not a reactive fibrosing process.
Dal Cin
P
P
Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Belgium.
Sciot
R
R
De Smet
L
L
Van den Berghe
H
H
D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2; D005260:Female; D005350:Fibroma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008875:Middle Aged; D013710:Tendons; D014178:Translocation, Genetic