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Neurofibromatosis
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/neurofibromatosis.html

Neurofibromatosis

Also called: Recklinghausen's disease, von Recklinghausen's disease
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Summary

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder of the nervous system. It mainly affects how nerve cells form and grow. It causes tumors to grow on nerves. You can get neurofibromatosis from your parents, or it can happen because of a mutation (change) in your genes. Once you have it, you can pass it along to your children. Usually the tumors are benign, but sometimes they can become cancerous.

There are three types of neurofibromatosis:

  • Type 1 (NF1) causes skin changes and deformed bones. It usually starts in childhood. Sometimes the symptoms are present at birth.
  • Type 2 (NF2) causes hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and poor balance. Symptoms often start in the teen years.
  • Schwannomatosis causes intense pain. It is the rarest type.

Doctors diagnose the different types based on the symptoms. Genetic testing is also used to diagnose NF1 and NF2. There is no cure. Treatment can help control symptoms. Depending on the type of disease and how serious it is, treatment may include surgery to remove tumors, radiation therapy, and medicines.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

  • Frequently Asked Questions about NF (Children's Tumor Foundation) - PDF
  • Learning about Neurofibromatosis From the National Institutes of Health (National Human Genome Research Institute)
  • Neurofibromatosis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Related Issues

  • Learning with NF1 (Children's Tumor Foundation) - PDF

Specifics

  • Diagnosed with NF2-Related Schwannomatosis (Children's Tumor Foundation) - PDF
  • Neurofibromatosis (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Schwannomatosis (Children's Tumor Foundation)
  • Vestibular Schwannoma (Acoustic Neuroma) and Neurofibromatosis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Genetics

  • Neurofibromatosis type 1: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Neurofibromatosis type 2: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Schwannomatosis: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Neurofibromatoses From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Neurofibromatosis 1 From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Chronic Pain in Neurofibromatosis 1, Neurofibromatosis 2, and Schwannomatosis: A Review...
  • Article: Conditioned medium from painful non-NF2 schwannomatosis tumors increases pain behaviors in...
  • Article: Spatial mapping of immune cell environments in NF2-related schwannomatosis vestibular schwannoma.
  • Neurofibromatosis -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • March of Dimes Foundation Also in Spanish
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke From the National Institutes of Health
  • Neurofibromatosis Specialists (Children's Tumor Foundation)

Children

  • Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Neurofibromatosis 2 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Neurofibromatosis-1 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Optic glioma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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Neurofibromatosis

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Neurofibromatosis 2
  • Neurofibromatosis-1
  • Optic glioma

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Neurofibromatosis is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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