Hydroquinone is a phenolic metabolite of benzene, a known human carcinogen. Hydroquinone is widely used in the industry. We report a case of a 43-year-old male diagnosed with antecedent myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia following 16 years of occupational exposure to hydroquinone in radiographic developer solution. Cytogenetic studies revealed aberrations in chromosome 5 and chromosome 7. We review the literature on hydroquinone as a potential cause of hematolymphatic cancers and discuss the role of hydroquinone as a genotoxic and leukemogenic agent.
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