The importance of further cytogenetic and molecular investigation of acrocentric variants: justification by presentation of a case [t(8;14)(q24;p11)].

On routine chromosome analysis a moderately retarded 18-year-old man was found to have an unusual short arm on one chromosome 14. With GTL-banding this chromosome showed an enlarged short arm with no evident secondary constriction. Negative CBG-banding of the short arm suggested the possibility of a translocation involving euchromatin. Interpretation of the abnormality as an unbalanced translocation relied on chromosome analysis using GTL-, CBG-, and Ag-NOR-banding of the proband's phenotypically normal mother, who was found to be carrying a balanced translocation involving chromosomes 8 and 14. In situ hybridization of sequences known to map to the short arm of chromosome 14 confirmed the interpretation and established that the breakpoint was within p11. The patient, whose karyotype is 46,XY, -14, +der(14)t(8;14)(q24.1;p11), is trisomic for the terminal end of the long arm of chromosome 8. The patient's clinical features are described and compared with those reported in patients trisomic for this region. This study demonstrates the importance of using a number of different banding techniques in conjunction with in situ hybridization for the investigation of morphologically unusual acrocentric short arm variants seen at routine diagnosis.