Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

| A | | B | | C | | D | | E | | F | | G | | H | | I | | J | | K | | L | | M |
| N | | O | | P | | Q | | R | | S | | T | | U | | V | | W | | X | | Y |

Neurofibromatosis

Neurofibromatosis is an inherited (genetic) problem of the nervous system. Nerves in any part of the body develop non-cancerous swellings (neurofibromas). These can appear in any tissue where the affected nerve is lying. They are swellings of the fatty (myelin) nerve sheaths. Although the swellings themselves are not cancerous, they can have serious effects depending on which part of the nervous system they are in.

There are two types. Type I neurofibromatosis (NF1, or von Recklinghausen’s disease) occurs equally in men and women at a rate of one in every 2,500 people. Type II neurofibromatosis (NF2) is much rarer, found in only one in 35,000 people.