Von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis and acute leukemia

The leukemias are neoplastic processes that have been associated with a variety of genetic disorders. A case of an adolescent with both acute myelomonocytic leukemia and von Recklinghausen disease is presented, and the literature reviewed to show that these two diseases are associated. Although the number of cases in the literature suggests that in children with von Recklinghausen disease there is a greater risk of leukemia developing, prospective studies are needed to prove this point.