Splenic marginal zone lymphoma: 7q abnormalities

7q abnormalities are the most common cytogenetic or genetic aberrations found in splenic marginal zone lymphoma. The molecular methods whereby these regions of genetic loss can be characterized are discussed in this chapter. Emphasis is given to careful experimental design, for example sample purification and optimization, that is, ensuring that only target sequences are amplified. There also is discussion of result interpretation, pitfalls that may be encountered, and alternative visualization techniques that might be used.