Patients with near-tetraploid (karyotype: 81 - 103 chromosomes) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (NT-ALL) constitute about 1% of childhood ALL and data reported on them are limited and controversial. The aim of the study was to enlarge the knowledge on these rarely occurring ALL.
Methods: The members of the European Group for Immunophenotyping of Leukemias (EGIL) searched retrospectively their databases for NT-ALL patients. Results: We collected data of 36 European children from seven European countries with NT-ALL diagnosed since 1992.
All patients reached complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy.