[Phenotypic and genetic features in neurofibromatosis type 1 in children]

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common neurocutaneous disease, nevertheless the number of publications providing clinical and genetic data from a significant number of children is limited.

The available clinical, epidemiological, radiological and genetic data from 239 children with NF1, who attended at a specialist NF1 clinic between January 2011 and December 2013 were recorded.

All the 239 patients had a clinical and/or genetic diagnosis of NF1. The mean age at diagnosis was 2.65±2.85 years. In our series 99.6% met the diagnostic criteria of café au lait spots, 93.7% those of axillary and inguinal freckling, 7.1% showed typical bone lesion, 38.1% neurofibromas, 23% plexiform neurofibromas, 31.4% optic pathway glioma, Lisch nodules were present in 43.1%, and 28% patients had a first degree relative affected with NF1. The NF1 genetic study was performed in 86 patients, and a description of the gene mutations found in 72 of them is presented. Furthermore, other clinical data previously associated with NF1, either because of their frequency or their severity, are detailed.

The difficulty for clinical diagnosis of NF1 early ages is still evident. Although, the need for further studies in asymptomatic patients is discussed, cranial MRI in children with NF1 may be helpful in the clinical diagnosis, given the high frequency of optic glioma observed in this cohort.