only 3 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and 1 case of non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The 3 MDS cases were: 2 refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB), evolving towards M2 acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 1 refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS) evolving towards M6-AML; the NHL case was a VIH-associated large cell NHL.

the MDS cases were aged 59-74 yrs, the NHL patient was 29 yr old; sex ratio: 4M/0F.

survival in MDS: 13 mths, 15 mths+, 54 mths+; death of an unrelated cause in the NHL.

presents as a der(16) t(1;16) in the 3 MDS

sole anomaly in 1 MDS, accompanied with +8 in the 2 other MDS cases; the NHL case exhibited a t(8;14)(q24;q11) and a complex caryotype; i.e. probable primary anomaly in MDS, secondary anomaly in the NHL case