Clinical cytogenetics in pediatric acute leukemia: an update

Pediatric acute leukemias are generally characterized by recurrent numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities, which are thought to be specifically associated with diagnosis and prognosis of both childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The identification of those chromosomal aberrations is clinically important because they are considered significant risk-stratifying markers. However there have been several instances in which they remain undetectable, possibly due to the low resolution of most genetic screening tools used. In the present review, the clinical significance of most chromosomal aberrations associated with pediatric ALL and AML as well as the current technology used for their identification is discussed.