Cytogenetic and DNA analysis of two neuroectodermal tumors without a simple t(11;22)

Cytogenetic analysis was conducted on tumor biopsy material from two pediatric, small, round, blue-cell tumors whose histology failed to give a clearcut diagnosis. The first case showed a complex composite karyotype within which there were two normal chromosomes 11 and one abnormal chromosome 22 present. The composite karyotype in the second case was similarly complex but this time included an abnormal chromosome 11 but no corresponding abnormal chromosome 22. Analysis of tumor mRNA from both cases using a Reverse Transcriptase PCR test with primers derived from a Ewing's sarcoma t(11;22)(q24;q12) breakpoint sequence showed both to have abnormal, chimeric transcribed messengers, each of different lengths. Further analysis of case 2 using chromosome painting and centromeric probing confirmed the abnormal chromosome 11 to be a der(11)t(11;22)(q24;q12) and also revealed two additional minor clones containing a der(22), which may be the karyotypic locations of the t(11;22) fusion sequences. Taken into consideration with clinical and histologic information, the results of these investigations indicated that both were neuroectodermal tumors (Ewing sarcomas of the chest wall/Askin tumors). The comparative values of both cytogenetic and molecular analysis in the diagnosis of neuroectodermal tumors and the detection of covert chromosome rearrangements are discussed.