Cytogenetics and occupational exposure to solvents: a pilot study on leukemias and myelodysplastic disorders

In a pilot study, 57 patients affected by leukemias or myelodysplastic syndromes were interviewed to identify potential exposure to organic solvents. Cytogenetic analyses were performed in 40 of the 57 patients. Unlike previous investigations, no association was found between the occurrence of chromosomal abnormalities and exposure to organic solvents. An original finding was a strong association between solvent exposure and myelodysplastic disorders (4 certainly exposed and 1 possibly exposed out of 11 patients). Such an observation warrants confirmation from case-control studies.