Maxillofacial deformities in neurofibromatosis

Four patients with neurofibromatosis are described: all displayed the feature of an increased depth of the sigmoid notch probably due to an expansive growing neurofibroma of the inferior alveolar nerve. One patient had a local neurofibroma with an invasive growth pattern and only this patient shows hyperplasia of the bone. The suggestion is made, contrary to what is found in the literature, that only the invasive growth type gives rise to hyperplasia and this type is always concomitant with a localized form of neurofibromatosis.