Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) has recently been recognized in the World Health Organization classification of hematological diseases as distinct type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In contrast to the well-established chromosomal changes associated with other B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, few genetic alterations have been found associated with SMZL. The aim of our study was to analyze by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) the chromosomal imbalances in 29 patients with SMZL and to correlate these findings with clinical and biological characteristics and patient outcome. In 21 cases, cytogenetic studies were simultaneously performed. Most of the patients (83%) displayed genomic imbalances. A total of 111 DNA copy number changes were detected with a median of four abnormalities per case (range, 1 to 12). Gains (n ؍ 92) were more frequent than losses (n ؍ 16), while three high-level amplifications (3q26-q29, 5p11-p15, and 17q22-q25) were observed. The most frequent gains involved 3q (31%), 5q (28%), 12q and 20q (24% each), 9q (21%), and 4q (17%). Losses were observed in 7q (14%) and 17p (10%). SMZL patients with genetic losses had a shorter survival than the remaining SMZL patients (P < 0.05). Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) has been considered a subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the recent classification of hematological diseases.1 SMZL has been recognized as a separate entity on the basis of its morphological, phenotypic, and clinical characteristics.2 Several studies have been performed to assess the genetic abnormalities in marginal lymphomas. Recently, two translocations, t(1;14)(p22;q32) involving BCL10/IgH 3 and t(11;18)(q21;q21) -API2/MLT-4 have been described, associated with high-grade and lowgrade MALT lymphomas, respectively. However, genetic information of SMZL is scanty. Cytogenetic analyses have shown involvement of chromosomes 1, 3, 7, and 8. 5,6 Fluorescence in situ hybridization studies on interphase nuclei have demonstrated the presence of trisomy 3 in a proportion of cases ranging from 18 to 47% of SMZL. 6 -9 In previous studies we have reported that in some SMZL cases, the only cytogenetic abnormality displayed was del(7q) that could suggest that del(7q) is associated with SMZL. 6,10 Recently, loss of heterozygosity studies demonstrated that the frequency of allelic loss in SMZL (40%) is higher than that observed in other B-cell lymphoproliferative syndromes. The most frequently deleted microsatellite was D7S487.11 These results are in accordance with our fluorescence in situ hybridization studies that mapped the commonly deleted region in chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders at 7q31.3.