After puberty the spots must be larger than 15mm. Neurofibromas can be quite numerous and can occur anywhere, but are common in the skin of the face and trunk. They tend to appear around puberty. They can be removed surgically, but may grow back. Usually an eye doctor needs to do a particular examination to see them.
Optic gliomas are growths along the optic nerve that goes from the eye to the brain.
These may eventually cause vision problems, so if they are present, a doctor needs to monitor them to see if they grow. Some people with NFI also have problems with the shape of their bones. Other types of tumors may also occur. Hearing loss can occur in NFI, but is not common, and deafness is rare. A sensorineural loss may be due to a structural problem in the inner ear, or a neurofibroma may actually block the outer or middle ear resulting in a conductive loss.