[Pathogenesis of neurofibromatosis. Light- and electron microscopical investigations (author's transl)]

Light- and electron microscopical investigations of the pathogenesis of Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis can support those views which consider the Schwanncells in these tumors to develop from mesenchymal cells, that means from reticular fibroblasts. It seems to be of special interest that these cells while transforming to Schwann cells become successive coated with a glycocalyx (surface coat); The whirle-or onion skin like formation of the tumor cells lead to a splitting of the ground substance into numerous compartments accompanied by a change in ground substance composition. This obviously cohere with an increasing number of mast cells within the tumor. It may be that these arrangements of the tumor tissue plays an important part in tumor growth. With this, the great importance of a regular composition of the extracellular matrix and cell surface coats for an undisturbed flow of information from cell to cell is discussed.