Rearrangements of the RARA and PML genes in a cytogenetic variant of acute promyelocytic leukemia

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is usually associated with the translocation t(15;17)(q22;q12‐21), which disrupts the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) gene on chromosome 17 and the PML gene on chromosome 15. We report a patient with typical APL without the common t(15;17). Cytogenetic studies demonstrated a normal appearance of chromosomes 15, while a small marker seemed to be an i(17q—). Molecular analysis showed RARA and PML rearrangements, suggesting that the chromosome abnormality corresponded to a variant translocation. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.