Cytogenetic findings in pediatric adipose tumors: consistent rearrangement of chromosome 8 in lipoblastoma

Characteristic cytogenetic aberrations have been reported in adult lipomas and liposarcomas, but few karyotypes have been reported for pediatric adipose neoplasms. In this report we describe a consistent rearrangement, der(8)(pter-->q13::q24.1-->qter), in 2 of 3 lipoblastomas. A similar der(8) was present in the only other published lipoblastoma karyotype, but this der(8) has not been reported in lipomas, liposarcomas, or nonadipose solid tumors. We investigated the potential specificity of der(8)(pter-->q13::q24.1-->qter) by karyotyping an unselected series of nonlipoblastoma adipose tumors in children and young adults. The series included 14 lipomas, 2 atypical lipomas ("well-differentiated liposarcomas"), and 2 angiomyolipomas; der(8) was not found in any tumor from this series. Three lipomas, however, contained rearrangements in the region of chromosome band 12q14, as has been described frequently in adult lipomas. Because clinical features in lipoblastoma can mimic those in liposarcoma, recognition of der(8)(pter-->q13::q24.1--qter) is of potential diagnostic relevance.