[Cytogenetics and cytochemistry of leukemia patients in 2 neotropical hospitals]

A cytogenetic and/or cytochemical study was performed in 166 individuals with leukemia or related disorders, in two major Costa Rican hospitals. In those patients treated at an adult's hospital (14 years old and over), acute leukemias represented 66% of all cases. In that hospital the most frequent types of disorders were, in decreasing order: ANLL (> M1), ALL, CML (all of them showed the Ph chromosome) and MDS. In the cases from a childrens' hospital (< 14 years old) acute leukemias were 98%. Among them the order of frequency was: ALL (70%): ALL-1 (84%), ALL-2 (16%) and ANLL (27%): M5a > M3 > M4 > M5b. In ALL 85% were type B and occurred mostly in women while 15% of them were type T and more frequent in males. There was 5.6% infant leukemia, which presented a similar number of acute lymphoids and myeloids. The cytogenetic pattern was similar among Costa Rica and other tropical and temperate countries.