The role of genetic counseling is also changing as our abilities to make molecular diagnosis improve for both NF1 and NF2. Some patients choose to continue care in the NF clinic and others take their management plan back to their own physicians for follow up. In all cases, the results of the evaluation are communicated to the patient's primary care physician and any other care providors involved with the patient and family, and the clinic staff is available to discuss questions with care providors as needed. Typical appearance of a cafe au lait spot in NF1. This picture is from Dr. Vincent Riccardi's book Neurofibromatosis, an excellent and comprehensive reference work on this disorder.
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that causes people to develop tumors of the nervous system.
Persons with NF1 develop multiple neurofibromas, cafe au lait macules and Lisch nodules of the eye. Some people with NF1 also have other manifestations such as learning disability, macrocephaly, bony abnormalities and malignancy. Everyone with NF2 develops bilateral vestibular schwannomas and everyone with bilateral vestibular schwannomas has NF2. Because both NF1 and NF2 are relatively rare disorders that can cause a number of neurological and medical consequences, a network of specialized NF clinics has been developed throughout the world. A genetic study of type 2 neurofibromatosis in the United Kingdom.