Cytogenetic analysis of two adult fibrosarcomas revealed clonal chromosomal rearrangements including unbalanced translocations between chromosomes 2 and 19, with the same segment, 2q21‐qter, translocated onto 19p13 in one tumor and 19q13 in another; and partial monosomy of 10q due to add(10)(q22) and del(10)(q22q25) seen in one tumor each. This is the first description of nonrandom chromosomal changes in adult fibrosarcoma. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 21:119–123, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Cytogenetic analysis was performed after short-term tissue culture of two recurrent synovial sarcomas. The tumors were classified on the basis of morphology, location, and immunohistochemistry. In a poorly differentiated tumor, the karyotype 49, XY, + 7, + 8, + 9, t(5;18) (q11.2;q11.2), and in a biphasic tumor two clonal cell lines with common translocations t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2) and t(12;17)(p11.2;q11.2) were present. In the predominant cell line several other structural aberrations including t(1;12)(q21;q24.3), t(3;18)(p23;q21), and 17p+ were found. A comparison of our results with previously published studies suggests that in addition to t(X;18), translocations of chromosome 18 with other chromosomes may represent a consistent feature of chromosomal changes in synovial sarcoma.