Double minute chromosomes in monoblastic (M5) and myeloblastic (M2) acute myeloid leukemia: Two case reports and a review of literature

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Abstract
Double minutes (dmin) are small, paired chromatin bodies that lack a centromere and represent a form of extrachromosomal gene amplification. Although they have been found in a variety of solid tumors, their presence in hematological malignancies, especially acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is rare. In addition, the presence of dmin may be a mechanism for upregulated oncogene expression and is generally associated with a poor prognosis. We describe two patients who had dmin at initial presentation of AML, including the first case of M5a with C‐MYC amplification on dmin, and another case with C‐MYC amplification as the only cytogenetic finding. We review here a total of 33 cases with dmin in AML. C‐MYC was amplified by the dmin in 25 cases, while other putative oncogenes were amplified in the other 8. Am. J. Hematol. 77:55–61, 2004.