
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Neurofibroma history and symptoms
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Neurofibromas can form anywhere in body with diffuse neurofibromas commonly involving scalp. Symptoms of neurofibroma include soft masses/bumps (internal or superficial) , transient itching, pain, numbness and tingling in the affected area, severe bleeding, physical disfiguration, cognitive disability, stinging, neurological deficits, changes in movement (clumsiness in the hands, trouble walking), bowel incontinence, scoliosis, UTI, urinary retention, urgency, frequency, urinary incontinence, hematuria, hydronephrosis, or pelvic mass.
History and symptoms
History and symptoms
- Neurofibromas can form anywhere in body
- Diffuse neurofibromas commonly involve scalp
- Symptoms of neurofibroma include:
- Soft masses/bumps on or under skin (internal or superficial)
- Transient itching (mast cells release histamine)
- Transient pain
- Numbness and tingling in the affected area
- Severe bleeding (sign of tumor growth)
- Physical disfiguration
- Cognitive disability
- Stinging
- Neurological deficits
- Changes in movement (clumsiness in hands, trouble walking)
- Bowel incontinence
- Scoliosis (an abnormal curvature of the spine, if the tumor creates muscular imbalance or erodes bones of the spine)
- Following symptoms may occur with genitourinary tract involvement (rarely):
- Urinary tract infection (most common clinical manifestation)
- Urinary retention
- Urinary frequency
- Urgency
- Hematuria
- Pelvic mass
- Hydronephrosis
- Urinary incontinence (decreased bladder capacity or compliance)
- Appears as a focal mass or diffuse bladder wall thickening in case of a plexiform neurofibroma
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sara Mohsin, M.D.[2]
