What Is The Prognosis For Neurofibromas?

Neurofibromas or Neurofibromatosis is a type of genetic neurological disorder, which affects the growth of cells present in the nerve tissues. Neurofibromas are responsible to produce tumors of nerves, internal organs, and the skin, which later one, becomes malignant or cancerous. Even in some cases, neurofibromas affects bones to cause debilitation and severe pain, while leads to learning disabilities, vision and hearing loss, behavioral dysfunctions and similar others.

Prognosis of patients suffering from neurofibromatosis or neurofibromas depends on its specific type. Accordingly-

NF 1 is a type of progressive cancerous disorder, according to which most of its symptoms become worse with time even though a few numbers of people have their symptoms constant. Prognosis, in this case, is somewhat unpredictable. However, in general, we should say that NF1 patients develop mild or moderate symptoms, because of which many of them have normal life expectancies. On the other side, in a few patients, life expectancy reduces to up to 15years often because of malignant tumors. However, regardless of the life expectancy, neurofibromas caused below or on the skin increases with age, while causes psychological and cosmetic issues.⁽¹⁾

The course of Neurofibromas 2 i.e. NF2 varies largely among people even though its inherited types seem to run almost similar course among the affected family members. In most of the NF2 patients, vestibular schwannomas grow at a slow pace to cause deterioration in hearing and physical balance in the coming years. Based on the mentioned facts, we should say that the prognosis of NF2 type patients depends on their onset ages, specific location and number of tumors. However, prompt diagnosis, as well as surgery, may boost the life expectancy of such patients higher than 15years.

Almost every individual with Schwannomatosis often experiences pain to some extent, even though the intensity of the pain varies largely. In most cases, pain is manageable with suitable medications and surgical procedure. However, in extreme conditions, pain becomes severe and prevents patients from doing their regular work even at home.

Neurofibromatosis may take place as an inheritance from an autosomal dominant type of trait i.e. from a parent with the same order and has 50percent chance to pass to its offspring. Alternatively, the problem takes place because of any spontaneous genetic mutation. Based on the aforementioned facts, doctors have classified neurofibromatosis under following categories-

Type 1 Neurofibromatosis transmits on the human chromosome number 17 and it takes place because of NF1 gene mutation. This type of neurofibromas causes birthmarks i.e. hyperpigmentation at multiple areas, which appear in individuals shortly after their birth. After this, during the late childhood, patients may have thousands of tumors as appearing on their skin in the form of cutaneous lesions or below the skin as subcutaneous lesions, both of which are cancerous types of tumors.

Type 2 type of neurofibromatosis takes place because of mutation or deletion of the NF2 gene and it transmits on the human chromosome number 22. Tumors in the case of NF 2 form within the nervous system often within the skull i.e. intracranial tumors and in the spinal canal called intraspinal tumors. However, vestibulocochlear nerve i.e. tumors present over the eighth cranial nerve or acoustic neuromas are common forms of neurofibromas type 2. Acoustic neuromas associated with NF2 results in loss of balance or sense i.e. equilibrium and hearing or vision loss often during the early 20s, while the tumors become cancerous.⁽²⁾

Schwannomatosis is a rare type of neurofibromas, where multiple tumors in benign form i.e. schwannomas form within the fiber cells of peripheral nerve. The positive aspect of this Neurofibromas type is that it never causes any malignant tumor or neurological disabilities.

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• What Are The Different Types Of Neurofibromas?
• Can Neurofibromas Become Cancerous & Does It Get Worse With Age?
• Can Neurofibromas Be Removed & Do They Grow Back?
• Do Neurofibromas Stop Growing & At What Age Do They Appear?
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