ABSTRACT

Cytogenetic analysis has a significant role in establishing diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and is an important factor in selecting treatment type and evaluation of treatment response. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively classical cytogenetic analysis results in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome followed between 2004 and 2009. Sixty eight patients with a mean age of 54.53±21.23 years (mean±standard deviation), range between 20-85 years and 49 of them as male were enrolled in the study. No metaphase was observed in 4 cases. Cytogenetic abnormalities were detected in 8 out of 64 (12.5%) patients diagnosed to have myelodysplastic syndrome and given cytogenetic analysis result. The most frequent abnormality observed in our study was loss of Y chromosome (-Y) with a rate of 6.25%. Fifty eight patients were in good risk group, 4 patients were in intermediate risk group and 2 patients were in poor risk group on the basis of cytogenetic results classified according to the risk categories of International Prognostic Scoring System. Two of the patients in poor and intermediate prognostic risk groups later transformed to acute myeloid leukemia. As a conclusion, cytogenetic investigations have a significant role in both prognostic evaluation and defining risk factors with regard to treatment in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. However future routine use of molecular techniques together with classical chromosomal analyses will guide physicians in approaching this patient group.