[Is the cytogenetic verification of chronic myeloleukemia always obligatory?]

To elucidate feasibility of accurate diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) without cytogenetic and molecular-genetic investigations as well as to specify CML diagnostic criteria, clinicohematological parameters were compared in two groups of patients: with Ph'-chromosome and/or rearrangement of fragment bcr (group 1), with unknown karyotype in whom detection of bcr fragment rearrangement was not made. Clinicohematological parameters in both groups were close in absolute value and underwent parallel changes in the course of leukemia progression. In group 1, patients in progressive and blastic phase compared to patients in chronic phase had a 14-fold increase in the number of additional cytogenetic anomalies. In patients with tumor transformation fragment bcr underwent rearrangement according to type B2A2. Thus, the diagnosis of typical CML variants is feasible without detection of Ph'-chromosome and/or rearrangement of bcr fragment. It is especially true and essential for patients in the chronic phase. The data obtained provide more accurate diagnostic criteria of CML.