title: Acquired del(9)(p22.3) in a primary plasma cell leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder, accounting for 1-2% of all plasma cell neoplasms, characterized by the presence of >2 × 109/l of plasma cells circulating in the peripheral blood, and exists in two forms: primary PCL (pPCL, 60% of the cases), and secondary PCL (sPCL), the latter being a leukemic transformation in patients with a previously diagnosed multiple myeloma. PCL is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis and a short median survival of 7 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we report a pPCL case with hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, thrombocytopenia, fever, fatigue, weight loss, and plasma cell count up to 60% in peripheral blood and 80% in bone marrow. Immunophenotype was compatible with PCL. A del(9)(p22.3) was characterized using banding cytogenetics and array-proven multicolor banding (aMCB), the latter being of enormous significance to characterize breakpoint regions in detail.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pPCL associated with a partially monosomy 9pter to 9p22.3 as a sole chromosomal abnormality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Human Genetics Division, Atomic Energy Commission, P,O, Box 6091, Damascus, Syria. ascientific@aec.org.sy.
authors.forename: Walid Al
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Achkar
authors.forename: Abdulsamad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wafa
authors.forename: Abdulmunim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aljapawe
authors.forename: Moneeb Ak
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.forename: Eyad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alhourani
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liehr