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.
Neurofibromatosis type 1 surgery
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Surgery is only used as a palliative, rather than curative therapy. Surgery can be helpful for the correction of some neurofibromatosis type 1 bone malformations and for removal of painful or disfiguring tumors.
Surgery
Surgery
- Surgery can be helpful for correction of some neurofibromatosis type 1 bone malformations and for removal of painful or disfiguring tumors.
- After removal, there is a chance that the tumors may grow back and in greater numbers.
- Surgery options for tumor removal include total and partial resections.
- In the rare instances when tumors become malignant (3- 5% of all cases), treatment may include radiation, or chemotherapy in addition to surgery. [1]
- In cases where tumors are not progressing rapidly, the conservative approach of watchful waiting is preferred.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Moises Romo M.D.