Increased karyotype precision using fluorescence in situ hybridization and spectral karyotyping in patients with myeloid malignancies.

We studied seven patients with various malignant hematologic disorders using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and one of these patients with spectral karyotyping (SKY). With appropriate probes, the t(8;21) and inv(16) were confirmed in two patients and the karyotypic precision was increased in five others using FISH and SKY. Two of three patients with 12p rearrangements had a deletion of one TEL allele. Thus, these newer techniques are an important adjunct to accurate chromosome analysis in malignancy.