Note also that the other side is also affected by the same process. Phacomatosis is a heterogeneous group of disorders which have central nervous system manifestations and cutaneous manifestations. Both are autosomal dominant. They involve basal ganglia, mainly globus pallidus, optic radiation, brainstem, and cerebral peduncles. Pathologically, these lesions represent foci of dysplastic glial proliferation.
Spinal neurofibroma are rare tumors of the cord or nerve roots.
They occur sporadically or in association with neuro-fibromatosis, and the cervical region is the most common site. The plain film may show erosion of the adjacent bones, typically involving the pedicles with increased interpediculate distance and enlargement of the neural foramina, with scalloping of the vertebral bodies. CT scan will show these abnormalities as well as the extension of the tumor into the neural foramina or the paravertebral soft tissues. Dumbbell-shaped tumors refer to those tumors extending into the extradural space through one or more neural foramina. They are typical of neurofibromatosis, but are not pathognomonic.