High resolution R banding in amniotic fluid cells using the BrdU-Hoechst 33258-Giemsa (RBG) technique

While standard Giemsa banding is generally adequate for amniotic fluid chromosome analysis, small deletions, duplications, or translocation breakpoints involving G-negative bands may be difficult to appreciate. We report a method for producing high resolution R banding in human amniotic fluid cultures using the BrdU-Hoechst 33258-Giemsa (RBG) technique. RBG banding can be useful in confirming and precisely defining structural abnormalities in amniotic fluid cultures.