The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2013 , Vol 55 , Num 3
Oncologic Manifestations in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 in Turkey
Divisions of 1Pediatric Neurology, and 2Pediatric Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Çukurova University Faculty of
Medicine, Adana, and 3Unit of Pediatric Oncology, 4Department of Pediatrics, Diyarbakır State Children’s Hospital,
Diyarbakır, Turkey. E-mail: fincecik@yahoo.com
Children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are predisposed to malignancies
such as brain tumors, leukemia, and pheochromocytomas. The aim of this
study was to evaluate malignancy in patients with NF1. We studied 120
patients with NF1 in this study. Demographic data from these patients were
retrospectively reviewed. We found 20 malignancies in 19 patients in our
study. Ten children with NF1 had optic glioma. Four children had solid central
nervous system tumors (3 pilocytic astrocytomas, 1 glioblastoma multiforme).
Three patients had myeloid malignancies (1 juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia,
1 acute myeloid leukemia, 1 acute lymphocytic leukemia). Hodgkin lymphoma,
T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, and malignant triton tumor were found in one
patient each. Patients with NF1 are predisposed to both benign and malignant
tumors of neurogenic and non-neurogenic origin. Therefore, systematic medical
follow-up in patients with NF1 is important.
Keywords :
Neurofibromatosis type 1, malignancy, children