page_title: Neurofibroma
section_title: Age of onset
hierarchical_section_title: Neurofibroma / Types / Plexiform neurofibroma / Age of onset
caption_attribution_description: English: Neurofibroma: Nodular mass with whitish glistening cut surface.
context_page_description: A neurofibroma is a benign nerve-sheath tumor in the peripheral nervous system. In 90% of cases, they are found as stand-alone tumors, while the remainder are found in persons with neurofibromatosis type I, an autosomal-dominant genetically inherited disease. They can result in a range of symptoms from physical disfiguration and pain to cognitive disability.
  Neurofibromas arise from nonmyelinating-type Schwann cells that exhibit biallelic inactivation of the NF1 gene that codes for the protein neurofibromin. This protein is responsible for regulating the RAS-mediated cell growth signaling pathway. In contrast to schwannomas, another type of tumor arising from Schwann cells, neurofibromas incorporate many additional types of cells and structural elements in addition to Schwann cells, making it difficult to identify and understand all the mechanisms through which they originate and develop.
context_section_description: Plexiform neurofibromas occur earlier in life and are thought to be congenital defects.
caption: Image of neurofibroma showing myxoid appearance
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