Translocation t(11;22) in esthesioneuroblastoma.

Esthesioneuroblastoma is an exceedingly rare malignant neuroectodermal tumor of olfactory epithelium origin. We have performed cytogenetic studies on a tissue culture line established from a metastatic lesion in one such patient and observed that, among several chromosomal abnormalities, the cells contained a reciprocal translocation, t(11;22)(q24;q12), indistinguishable from the one that has been reported in Ewing's sarcoma, Askin's tumor, and peripheral neuroepithelioma. The uniqueness of this marker suggests that these tumors may be derived from the same type of stem cell, with varying histopathologic and clinical manifestations.