Translocation t(1;3)(p36.3;q25) is a nonrandom aberration in epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

The cytogenetic findings for two epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas are reported. An identical chromosomal translocation involving chromosomes 1 and 3 [t(1;3)(p36.3;q25)] was detected in both cases of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, possibly representing a characteristic rearrangement for this histopathologic entity. The presence of clonal karyotypic abnormalities supports a neoplastic origin for the epithelioid variant of hemangioendothelioma. Identification of the 1;3 translocation may be useful diagnostically. Should additional studies confirm these data, this could lead to the identification of the gene(s) central to this neoplastic process.