The neurofibromatoses

Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) are inherited autosomal dominant disorders that have a significant impact on the nervous system and predispose to tumour formation. The current nomenclature makes NF1 and NF2 awkward bedfellows because they are clinically and genetically separate disorders. Neurofibromas are characteristic of NF1, a common condition with major skin involvement and many clinical complications. By contrast, schwannomas are the distinctive lesions in NF2, cutaneous signs are less prominent in this rarer disorder and clinical manifestations are largely restricted to the nervous system and eye. The current aim of neurofibromatosis specialists is to provide cohesive standards of care for everyone with neurofibromatosis and to devise standardised protocols for assessment and management within a multidisciplinary setting.