title: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with t(14;18)(q32;q21) As a Sole Cytogenetic Abnormality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in adults. The chromosomal abnormality t(14;18)(q32;q21) is most commonly associated with neoplasms of a follicular center cell origin. However, t(14;18) has also been reported in rare cases of CLL.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We describe the clinicopathologic, immunophenotypic, conventional, and molecular cytogenetic features of two rare cases proven to be CLL morphologically and immunologically in which t(14;18) was found as the sole cytogenetic abnormality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Morphologic, flow cytometric analysis and molecular cytogenetic of peripheral blood and/or bone marrow samples were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cytomorphologically, the cells were small mature lymphocytes without any findings that had characteristics of follicular lymphoma (FL) such as indented or clefted nuclei. Immunologic findings were characteristic of typical CLL without expression of CD10. A cytogenetic study revealed the two cases of CLL carrying t(14;18)(q32;q21).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that CLL with t(14;18) is rare and should be differentiated from FL as the therapy is highly diverse between both diseases. Using immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGH) probes are important in the workup of patients with suspected CLL and suggest that the IGH probe should be used routinely in all CLL fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) panels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Military Laboratory and Blood Bank, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ; Department of Hematology and Blood Bank, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ghaleb
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elyamany
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Clinical Hematology and Stem cell Therapy, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Kamal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fadalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Military Laboratory and Blood Bank, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elghezal
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Military Laboratory and Blood Bank, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alsuhaibani
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Clinical Hematology and Stem cell Therapy, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Clinical Hematology and Stem cell Therapy, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Abulaaly
keywords: FISH; chronic lymphocytic leukemia; t(14;18)