Prognostic usefulness of cytogenetic analysis for haematological malignancies--two case reports on acute myeloid leukaemia

Since the setup of marrow cytogenetic analysis at the National University Hospital (NUH) of Singapore in 1988, we have systematically examined all patients with haematological neoplasia for clonal abnormalities. In most patients, diagnosis was unequivocal on clinical and morphological grounds so that karyotyping was undertaken for prognostic purposes. Two patients are described who illustrate the prognostic implications of nonrandom chromosomal derangements. They highlight the increasing appreciation of the importance of cytogenetic analysis as an independent and reliable prognostic tool in the management of haematological malignancies.