Clinical review of neurofibromatosis

Neurofibromatosis (NF), also known as von Recklinghausen's disease, is a prevalent genetic disorder--as common as cystic fibrosis and Down's syndrome and twice as prevalent as muscular dystrophy; it occurs in approximately one of 3000 live births. NF often involves the eyes and visual pathways; many NF patients first present early in life because of ocular complaints. But, because mental retardation can be a complication of the disease, such patients are difficult to examine and, as a result, the disease is sometimes not recognized. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the condition along with a case report of an eight year old child with NF.