Neurofibromatotsis-Samuel+L.

Neurofibromatosis **Description:** Neurofibromatosis is a disorder characterized by the growth of noncancerous tumors. These noncancerous tumors form on or just underneath the skin. The noncancerous tumors are called neurofibromas and they are spread throughout the body. People with this disease may have high blood pressure, bone defects, scoliosis, and learning disabilities.

**Inheritance: **  This disorder is inherited by the mutated gene from a parent. The disorder is inherited in an autosomal pattern, which means that only one copy of the defective gene has to be inherited for a child to get the disorder. Each child of a parent with NF1 runs a 50% chance of getting the disorder.

Many people with NF1 have a larger than normal head circumference and are usually shorter than average. The most common skin abnormality with NF1 is café-au-lait spots on the skin. Children with NF1 may have poor language skills and preform less well on tests. Learning disabilities, like ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are very common in children with NF1. Not to mention, an estimated 3%-5% of the noncancerous tumors may become cancerous.
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**Daily Life: **

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**Diagnosis: **  Most of the time, NF1 is diagnosed by its physical symptoms or by family history of the disorder. It is not diagnosed through genetic testing. Genetic testing is expensive and the symptoms of NF1 are very clear. Since light brown spots appear within the first 2 years of a child’s life, NF1 is diagnosed through the physical symptoms. Symptoms will almost always appear by the time a child is ten years old.

There is no cure to neurofibromatosis but surgery is recommended to remove the tumors that might become cancerous. Headaches and seizures are treated with medication on a day to day basis. Radiation and chemotherapy can be used to treat the tumors. Treatments for NF1 are aimed towards controlling and relieving the symptoms.
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**Research: ** Institutes are researching about how the genetic mutations cause the benign tumors result in learning disabilities. They are also trying to understand the possible factors that may regulate the growth pattern of NF1.

Many features of NF1 are age dependent and a definitive diagnosis may take several years. Symptoms of NF1 show almost always by the time a child is 10 years old.
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