National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Neurofibroma


A neurofibroma is a non-cancerous (benign) tumor that develops from the cells and tissues that cover nerves.[1] Some people who develop neurofibromas have a genetic condition known as neurofibromatosis (NF). There are different types of NF, but type 1 is the most common.
Last updated: 7/20/2015

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Enlarged peripheral nerve 0012645
Periarticular subcutaneous nodules 0007470
Plexiform neurofibroma 0009732
Subcutaneous neurofibromas 0100698
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal cranial nerve morphology 0001291
Paraspinal neurofibromas 0006751
Peripheral nerve compression 0003406
Spinal canal stenosis
Narrow spinal canal
0003416
Symmetric spinal nerve root neurofibromas 0006851
1%-4% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal biliary tract morphology 0012440
Atypical neurofibromatosis 0007524
Enlargement of parotid gland 0011801
Facial neoplasm
Face tumor
0012289
Intestinal bleeding 0002584
Kyphoscoliosis 0002751
Macrocephaly
Increased size of skull
Large head
Large head circumference
[ more ] 		0000256
Multiple intestinal neurofibromatosis 0005220
Neoplasia of the pleura 0100527
Neoplasm of the breast
Breast tumor
Tumours of the breast
[ more ] 		0100013
Neoplasm of the trachea 0100551
Palmar neurofibromas 0007576
Peripheral Schwannoma 0009593
Recurrent otitis media
Recurrent middle ear infection
0000403
Spinal meningioma 0100010
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Neurofibroma. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Neurofibroma. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Dictionary of cancer terms. National Cancer Institute Web site. http://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms?CdrID=45095. Accessed 7/20/2015.