This week we pause to reaffirm our Nation's commitment to the fight against neurofibromatosis, a common genetic disorder that affects the nervous systems of more than 100,000 Americans.
Neurofibromatosis appears in two forms.
In the more prevalent form, NF1, masses of tissue grow along nerve pathways beneath the skin or deeper in the body. While most individuals with NF1 experience mild symptoms and few adverse effects on their ability to lead normal lives, some persons with the disorder can be severely disfigured by facial or bodily tumors that may also press against vital organs, causing serious complications such as blindness or loss of limbs. In the disorder's other form, NF2, tumors grow along the nerves responsible for hearing and balance. These tumors, although they are nonmalignant, often result in hearing loss. Both forms of neurofibromatosis are complex and unpredictable, and there is no way to foretell the eventual severity of individual cases.