Derivative (y)t(Y;1)(q12;q12),+9 in a patient with polycythemia vera during transition into myelodysplasia

Cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow cells of a 63-year-old male Caucasian patient with polycythemia vera (PV) who developed anemia, thrombocytopenia, and increased granulocytic immaturity revealed a 47,X,der(Y) t(Y;1)(q12;q12),+9 karyotype. The breakpoint in chromosome 1 appeared to map to q12 and not to q21, as has been described in previous reports without FISH confirmation. In the 4 years before this transition the patient was polycythemic and, accordingly, treated with phlebotomy and three short courses of busulfan. The cytogenetic picture observed has been described before in seven patients: three with PV, three with myelodysplasia, and one with Fanconi anemia. In 57 cases, like in our patient, the abnormality was observed during transition of the disease into either myelodysplasia or AML.