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Neurofibromatosis Radiology: NF1 and NF2 Imaging and Criteria

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Axial T2-weighted brain MRI showing focal areas of signal intensity in the basal ganglia and coronal whole-body STIR MRI showing multiple limb neurofibromas with a target appearance in neurofibromatosis type 1
Neurofibromatosis type 1 in a patient with skin lesions and an affected sibling. Left: axial T2-weighted MRI with focal areas of abnormal signal intensity in the basal ganglia. Right: coronal whole-body STIR MRI with multiple hyperintense neurofibromas showing central low signal (target appearance) in the muscles of both lower limbs and the right upper limb. From Radiology OSCE Case 56.

Neurofibromatosis is three separate genetic tumour syndromes. NF1 (chromosome 17) causes neurofibromas, optic pathway gliomas, FASI in the brain and skeletal dysplasias; NF2, renamed NF2-related schwannomatosis in 2022 (chromosome 22), causes bilateral vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas and ependymomas; and non-NF2 schwannomatosis causes multiple, often painful, schwannomas. Both sets of diagnostic criteria were rewritten, in 2021 and 2022 [1][2], so textbook lists based on the 1988 NIH and Manchester criteria are out of date.

This page is a working reference for the radiologist: the current criteria, the brain, skeletal and body findings of NF1 with the numbers behind them, how to tell a neurofibroma from a schwannoma, the imaging red flags for malignant transformation, the surveillance imaging you will be asked to report, and NF2-related schwannomatosis. For the shorter overviews see the NF1 and NF2 articles.

Key facts for practice and radiology board exams

  • NF1 affects about 1 in 3,000 people [3]. NF2-related schwannomatosis affects about 1 in 25,000 to 33,000 births [4][5]. Memory aid: neurofibromatosis has 17 letters (chromosome 17); NF2 goes with chromosome 22.
  • 2021 NF1 criteria: two of seven features, or one if a parent is affected. New: choroidal abnormalities as an alternative to Lisch nodules, and a pathogenic NF1 variant as a criterion [1].
  • 2022 rename: NF2 is now NF2-related schwannomatosis; ependymoma replaced glioma in the criteria, and schwannomatosis is split into NF2-, SMARCB1-, LZTR1- and 22q-related types [2].
  • FASI (focal areas of signal intensity, formerly UBOs) are vacuolar myelin change, not tumour [6]: no mass effect, no enhancement, and they regress with age [7]. Enhancement or mass effect means glioma until proven otherwise.
  • Optic pathway glioma in NF1 involves the orbital optic nerve in 66 percent, keeps the shape of the optic pathway in 91 percent and is cystic in only 9 percent; sporadic OPG is chiasmatic in 91 percent and cystic in 66 percent [8]. Screening MRI in asymptomatic children is not recommended [9][3].
  • Neurofibroma versus schwannoma: target sign 58 versus 15 percent, central enhancement 75 versus 8 percent; fascicular sign favours schwannoma, 63 versus 25 percent [10].
  • MPNST lifetime risk in NF1 is 8 to 13 percent, median age at diagnosis 26 years [11]. Internal plexiform neurofibromas raise the risk about 20-fold [12].
  • MPNST red flags: minimum ADC of 1.0 x 10-3 mm2/s or less (94 percent specificity at 100 percent sensitivity), SUVmax above 3.2 [13], growth, pain and loss of the target sign in a distinct nodular lesion [14].
  • Adult surveillance (ERN GENTURIS 2023): whole-body MRI at least once at transition to adulthood, and annual breast MRI from 30 to 50 years in women [15].
  • MEK inhibitors shrink plexiform neurofibromas: selumetinib partial response in 70 percent of children [16]; mirdametinib 41 percent in adults and 52 percent in children [17]. Response is read on volumetric MRI as a 20 percent volume change [18].

NF1, NF2-related schwannomatosis and schwannomatosis at a glance

NF1NF2-related schwannomatosis (was NF2)Other schwannomatosis
GeneNF1, chromosome 17q (neurofibromin)NF2, chromosome 22q (merlin)SMARCB1, LZTR1 or 22q-related; some unidentified [2]
FrequencyAbout 1 in 3,000 [3]About 1 in 25,000 to 33,000 births [4][5]Rarer
Defining tumoursNeurofibromas (cutaneous, nodular, plexiform), optic pathway gliomaBilateral vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas, ependymomas (MISME)Multiple non-vestibular schwannomas, often painful
BrainFASI, optic pathway glioma, other low-grade gliomas, vasculopathyVestibular and other cranial nerve schwannomas, meningiomasUsually none
SpineDural ectasia, dystrophic scoliosis, dumbbell neurofibromasIntramedullary ependymomas, root schwannomas, meningiomasRoot and paraspinal schwannomas
Skin and eyeCafe-au-lait macules, freckling, Lisch nodules, choroidal abnormalitiesJuvenile cataract, retinal hamartoma, epiretinal membraneNone characteristic
MalignancyMPNST, GIST, phaeochromocytoma, breast cancer, gliomaTumours histologically benign; morbidity from locationMPNST risk higher in SMARCB1-related disease [19]
The three neurofibromatoses. The old labels NF3 (schwannomatosis) and NF5 (segmental NF1) are obsolete; segmental NF1 is now called mosaic NF1 [1].

Neurofibromatosis sits alongside tuberous sclerosis, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome and Sturge-Weber syndrome among the phakomatoses. NF1 is also a RASopathy, sharing its pathway with Noonan and Costello syndrome.

NF1 diagnostic criteria: the 2021 revision

The International Consensus Group on Neurofibromatosis Diagnostic Criteria replaced the NIH criteria in 2021 [1]. Two of the new items are directly relevant to imaging: optic pathway glioma and the distinctive osseous lesions.

Criterion2021 definitionImaging relevance
Cafe-au-lait maculesSix or more, over 5 mm before puberty or over 15 mm after pubertyNone
FrecklingAxillary or inguinalNone
NeurofibromasTwo or more of any type, or one plexiform neurofibromaMRI and ultrasound show deep and plexiform tumours
Optic pathway gliomaPresentMRI of orbits and chiasm
OcularTwo or more Lisch nodules on slit lamp, or two or more choroidal abnormalities on optical coherence tomography or near-infrared reflectance imaging (new)Ophthalmology
Distinctive osseous lesionSphenoid dysplasia, anterolateral bowing of the tibia, or pseudarthrosis of a long boneRadiograph, CT; sphenoid dysplasia is not counted separately if an ipsilateral orbital plexiform neurofibroma is present
GeneticsHeterozygous pathogenic NF1 variant with a variant allele fraction of 50 percent in apparently normal tissue such as blood (new)None
Revised NF1 criteria (2021). Without an affected parent: two or more criteria. Child of an affected parent: one or more. At least one of the two pigmentary findings must be bilateral [1].

What else changed. The revision defines mosaic NF1 (features limited to a body segment, or a lower variant allele fraction) and sets out parallel criteria for Legius syndrome, caused by SPRED1 variants: six or more bilateral cafe-au-lait macules with or without freckling, and none of the other NF1 features [1]. A child with only pigmentary findings may therefore have Legius syndrome, which carries no neurofibromas, optic gliomas or MPNST. FASI were never a diagnostic criterion and are still not one.

NF1 brain MRI findings

Focal areas of signal intensity (FASI)

FASI, previously called unidentified bright objects (UBOs), are T2 and FLAIR hyperintense foci with no mass effect and no enhancement. Histology shows vacuolar or spongiotic change in myelin rather than tumour or gliosis [6]. The globus pallidus and internal capsule are the commonest site [20]; the cerebellum, brainstem and thalamus are the other typical locations.

Their course is age-dependent. In a prospective cohort re-imaged after 8 years, T2 hyperintensities fell in number, size and intensity from childhood into adulthood, while lesions in the cortex and subcortical or deep white matter became more frequent with age and probably have a different substrate [7]. Quantitative follow-up shows a more uneven course than simple regression, with a fall between about 7 and 12 years and a rise again in adolescence in some children [20]. Childhood FASI, not their later disappearance, were the best predictor of adult cognitive difficulty [7].

FeatureFASILow-grade glioma
Mass effectNone [6]Present, expands the structure
EnhancementNoneOften present
BehaviourStable or regressing through childhood [7]Grows on follow-up
Typical sitesGlobus pallidus, cerebellar white matter, dentate, brainstem, thalamus [20]Optic pathway, brainstem (tectum, medulla), cerebellum
What to doReport as FASI; no dedicated follow-upShort-interval MRI and neuro-oncology referral
FASI versus glioma in NF1.

Optic pathway glioma

Optic pathway glioma (OPG), a pilocytic astrocytoma, develops in up to 15 percent of children with NF1 and makes up two thirds or more of NF1 CNS tumours [15]. In a cohort of 134 NF1 patients with OPG, 42.5 percent were symptomatic, diagnosed at a mean age of 7.6 years [21]. The imaging pattern differs from sporadic OPG enough to be a separate entity [8].

FeatureNF1-associated OPGSporadic OPG
Orbital optic nerve involved66 percent32 percent
Chiasm involved62 percent91 percent
Extension beyond the optic pathway at diagnosis2 percent68 percent
Shape of the optic pathway preserved91 percent (fusiform, tortuous nerve)27 percent (globular mass)
Cystic component9 percent66 percent
Stable on follow-upAbout half5 percent
Optic pathway glioma with and without NF1 on MRI: 47 NF1 and 44 non-NF1 patients [8].

Screening. Routine MRI to look for OPG in an asymptomatic child with NF1 is not recommended; surveillance is by regular ophthalmological examination, with MRI when vision, fields, optic discs or puberty timing change [9][3]. The adult ERN GENTURIS guideline takes the same line and refers asymptomatic OPG to a specialist unit rather than scheduling repeat MRI [15]. An enlarged, J-shaped sella can accompany a chiasmatic glioma: see the J-shaped sella sign.

Other gliomas, vasculopathy and hydrocephalus

Brainstem gliomas in NF1 behave far more indolently than sporadic diffuse brainstem gliomas and are a distinct clinical entity [22]. In a paediatric series in which 80 of 181 NF1 children had brain or vascular imaging, vasculopathy was found in 18 percent of those imaged, a minimum population prevalence of 8 percent, almost all cerebrovascular (7 percent) and rarely peripheral (1 percent) [23]. Hydrocephalus affects an estimated 1 to 13 percent, from aqueductal webs, chiasmatic-hypothalamic tumours or thalamic mass effect; moyamoya and tumours can mimic it clinically [24].

NF1 skull, spine and skeletal findings

FindingImaging appearanceNotes
Sphenoid wing dysplasiaHypoplastic or absent greater wing, widened superior orbital fissure; empty or bare orbit on frontal radiograph; pulsatile exophthalmos, temporal lobe herniation into the orbitDiagnostic criterion [1]; often with an orbital plexiform neurofibroma
Asterion (lambdoid) defectLucent defect of the posterior calvarium at the lambdoid sutureCan enlarge like a growing skull fracture; managed conservatively [25]
Dural ectasia and lateral meningocelePosterior vertebral scalloping, widened canal and foramina; CSF-signal sac through the foramen75 percent of posteriorly scalloped vertebrae had dural ectasia on MRI [26]; see scalloped vertebra
Dystrophic kyphoscoliosisShort-segment, sharply angulated curve with rib penciling, vertebral wedging and rotation, scalloping, spindled transverse processesRib penciling was the single radiographic predictor of progression [27]
Rib pencilingThin, twisted ribbon ribsThree or more penciled ribs: 87 percent progressed [27]
Anterolateral tibial bowing and pseudarthrosisAnterolateral bowing, narrowed sclerotic medullary canal, then fracture non-union, usually distal tibia and fibulaDiagnostic criterion [1]
Dumbbell neurofibromaIntradural-extradural tumour widening the neural foramenConsider MPNST if large or painful
Focal overgrowthSoft tissue and bone hypertrophy of a limb with a diffuse plexiform neurofibromaElephantiasis neuromatosa
Skeletal manifestations of NF1.
Frontal skull radiograph and 3D CT reconstruction showing an asterion calvarial defect in neurofibromatosis type 1
Asterion defect in NF1: a well-defined lucent defect of the posterior calvarium near the lambdoid suture on a frontal radiograph (left, arrow) and on a 3D CT reconstruction viewed from behind (right, arrow).

Dystrophic versus non-dystrophic scoliosis. Durrani analysed nine radiographic dystrophic features in 91 NF1 spinal deformities: rib penciling, vertebral rotation, posterior, anterior and lateral vertebral scalloping, vertebral wedging, spindling of the transverse processes, widened interpedicular distance and enlarged intervertebral foramina [27]. Curves change category over time (“modulation”): 81 percent of deformities diagnosed before 7 years acquired dystrophic features, against 25 percent diagnosed later. A curve that acquires three penciled ribs, or any three dystrophic features, progresses in 85 to 87 percent. MRI adds the cause of scalloping: posterior scalloping with dural ectasia, anterior or lateral scalloping with an adjacent neurofibroma [26].

NF1 body imaging: plexiform neurofibromas, lung and associated tumours

Plexiform neurofibromas are infiltrative tumours along multiple fascicles or branches of a nerve, appearing on MRI as lobulated, rope-like or “bag of worms” masses that are hyperintense on T2 and STIR, often with multiple target signs. Internal (deep) plexiform neurofibromas are largely invisible on examination, which is why whole-body MRI is used to count and measure them. People with internal plexiform neurofibromas were about 20 times more likely to develop MPNST than those without [12].

Lung. NF1-associated diffuse lung disease is characterised by upper lobe cysts and bullae with lower lobe reticulation and fibrosis, without honeycombing [28]. In 71 NF1 patients on CT, cysts (35 percent), nodules (32 percent) and paraseptal emphysema (30 percent) were the commonest findings, cysts occurred only in adults, and pulmonary nodules and metastases were more frequent in patients with MPNST [29]. Posterior mediastinal and intercostal neurofibromas, lateral thoracic meningoceles and chest wall deformity complete the chest picture.

TumourRisk in NF1Imaging pearl
All cancersLifetime risk 59.6 percent versus 30.8 percent in the general population [30]Avoid unnecessary CT; NF1 is treated as radiosensitive [15]
MPNSTLifetime risk 8 to 13 percent; median age 26 years; 5-year survival 21 percent [11]Arises in plexiform neurofibromas; see the red flags below
Breast cancerStandardised incidence ratio 11.1 in women under 40 [30]Annual breast MRI from 30 to 50 years [15]
Gastrointestinal stromal tumour6 of 95 adults (6.3 percent) on screening CT [31]Often multiple, small bowel, KIT and PDGFRA wild-type
Phaeochromocytoma0.1 to 5.7 percent; 84 percent solitary adrenal, 9.6 percent bilateral, 6.1 percent ectopic [32]Exclude before surgery or pregnancy, or with hypertension
CNS tumoursOptic pathway glioma up to 15 percent of children [15]; brainstem glioma usually indolent [22]Screen with eye examination, not MRI, in children [3]
Tumour risks in NF1.

Neurofibroma imaging signs and neurofibroma versus schwannoma

Both neurofibromas and schwannomas are benign nerve sheath tumours, so the old teaching that “neurofibromas arise from the nerve and schwannomas from the sheath” is wrong. The real difference is growth pattern: a schwannoma is a pure Schwann cell tumour that grows eccentrically and displaces the fascicles, so it can be shelled out; a neurofibroma contains Schwann cells, fibroblasts and mast cells, grows between the fascicles and cannot be separated from the nerve. That explains why the signs overlap.

SignDefinitionSeen in
Target signCentral low and peripheral high T2 signal: a fibrocollagenous core with a myxoid rim [33]Neurofibroma 58 percent, schwannoma 15 percent [10]; usually lost in MPNST
Fascicular signMultiple small ring-like low-signal foci in a high-signal mass on T2, reflecting fascicular bundles [33]Schwannoma 63 percent, neurofibroma 25 percent [10]
Entering and exiting nerve signFusiform mass tapering into the nerve at each pole [33]Any nerve sheath tumour; confirms nerve origin
Split fat signRim of fat around the poles of an intermuscular mass on T1 [33]Any intermuscular nerve sheath tumour; see split fat sign
Bag of wormsTortuous, multinodular expansion of a nerve and its branchesPlexiform neurofibroma
Named MRI signs of peripheral nerve sheath tumours.
MRI featureNeurofibroma (n=12)Schwannoma (n=40)
Target sign on T258 percent15 percent
Central enhancement75 percent8 percent
Target sign plus central enhancement63 percent3 percent
Fascicular appearance25 percent63 percent
Thin T2 hyperintense rim8 percent58 percent
Diffuse enhancement13 percent67 percent
Central versus eccentric nerve position, cystic change, peripheral enhancementNot significantly differentNot significantly different
Extraaxial neurofibroma versus schwannoma on MRI [10]. No single feature or combination separated them completely.
T2-weighted MRI of a retroperitoneal schwannoma with a target appearance
A target appearance is not specific to neurofibroma: axial and coronal T2-weighted MRI of a retroperitoneal schwannoma with central low and peripheral high signal. In the series above, 15 percent of schwannomas showed the target sign.

Ultrasound shows the same features: a fusiform hypoechoic mass in continuity with the nerve, a central echogenic area corresponding to the target sign, and posterior acoustic enhancement. Overlap between neurofibroma and schwannoma is as large on ultrasound as on MRI.

Atypical neurofibroma and MPNST: imaging red flags

Malignant transformation in NF1 usually happens inside a plexiform neurofibroma and passes through an intermediate stage. The 2017 consensus names it atypical neurofibromatous neoplasm of uncertain biologic potential (ANNUBP): at least two of cytological atypia, loss of neurofibroma architecture, hypercellularity and a mitotic count above 1 per 50 but below 3 per 10 high-power fields [34]. In 76 atypical neurofibromas from three centres, most appeared on MRI as distinct nodular lesions (well-defined nodules that stand out from the background plexiform tumour, typically without a target sign) and most were FDG-avid; none of the 57 completely resected lesions recurred, and 4 progressed to MPNST [14].

StudyDiscriminatorResult
Wasa, 61 PNST on MRI [35]Two or more of: large diameter, peripheral enhancement, perilesional oedema-like zone, intratumoral cystic changeSensitivity 61 percent, specificity 90 percent for MPNST
Demehri, 31 PNST [36]Minimum ADC0.47 versus 1.08 x 10-3 mm2/s (AUC 0.89); ADC 1.0 or less plus diameter 4.2 cm or more detected every malignancy
Demehri [36]Ill-defined margins; peritumoral oedema77 versus 32 percent; 66 versus 23 percent
Ahlawat, 55 NF1 PNST [13]Mean diameter8.2 cm MPNST versus 4.3 cm benign
Ahlawat [13]Minimum ADC 1.0 x 10-3 mm2/s or lessSpecificity 94 percent at 100 percent sensitivity
Ahlawat [13]FDG PET SUVmax above 3.2Specificity 83 percent at 100 percent sensitivity
Chirindel, 93 NF1 lesions [37]FDG PET SULmax cut-off3.2 at 1 hour (AUC 0.973), 4.1 at 4 hours (AUC 0.978); normalising to liver raised specificity to 93 to 94 percent
Imaging discriminators of MPNST from benign peripheral nerve sheath tumour.

In practice: in an NF1 patient with new pain, neurological deficit or rapid growth of a known tumour, look for a nodule that has lost its target sign, ill-defined or infiltrative margins, perilesional oedema, necrosis or haemorrhage, low ADC, and FDG avidity, and state which lesion should be biopsied. Clinical symptoms matter: pain and motor weakness were common presentations of atypical neurofibromas [14].

Surveillance imaging in NF1

QuestionRecommendationSource
Screening brain or orbit MRI for optic glioma in asymptomatic childrenNot recommended; annual ophthalmological examination instead[9][3]
Whole-body MRIAt least once at the transition from childhood to adulthood, to measure internal plexiform tumour burden as an MPNST risk marker; more often if indicated[15]
Breast cancer screening in womenAnnual breast MRI from 30 to 50 years; mammography only where MRI is unavailable; national screening after 50[15]
CTAvoid where possible because of radiosensitivity[15]
Plexiform neurofibroma responseVolumetric MRI; a 20 percent or greater volume change defines response or progression[18]
Surveillance imaging in NF1: ERN GENTURIS 2023 adult tumour surveillance guideline, AAP health supervision report and the REiNS response criteria.

What to put in a whole-body MRI report: the number and location of plexiform neurofibromas, which are internal, volumes or three-plane measurements of index lesions for comparison, any distinct nodular lesion, any lesion without a target sign or with restricted diffusion, spinal and paraspinal disease, and incidental findings such as adrenal masses.

MEK inhibitors and volumetric MRI response

Plexiform neurofibromas that cannot be resected are now treated with MEK inhibitors, and the radiologist measures the response. In the SPRINT phase 2 trial, 35 of 50 children (70 percent) on selumetinib had a confirmed partial response, defined as a volume reduction of 20 percent or more, and 28 of these lasted a year or longer [16]. In the ReNeu trial of mirdametinib, the blinded confirmed response rate was 41 percent in 58 adults and 52 percent in 56 children, with median best volume reductions of 41 and 42 percent [17]. Mirdametinib was the first MEK inhibitor approved in the USA for both adults and children aged 2 years and older with symptomatic, inoperable NF1 plexiform neurofibromas [38].

Volumetric MRI, not linear measurement, is the REiNS-recommended method, with a 20 percent volume change as the threshold for response and progression [18]. Use the same sequence, typically fat-suppressed T2 or STIR in three planes, for every comparison.

NF2-related schwannomatosis (formerly NF2)

The 2022 consensus replaced the Manchester criteria and the name at the same time [2]. The mnemonic is still useful: MISME, multiple inherited schwannomas, meningiomas and ependymomas (illustrated mnemonic). Neurofibroma and glioma, part of the older criteria, are no longer in them.

Diagnosis requires one ofDetails
Bilateral vestibular schwannomasDiagnostic on their own
Identical NF2 pathogenic variant in two anatomically distinct NF2-related tumoursSchwannoma, meningioma or ependymoma
Two major criteria, or one major plus two minor criteriaSee below
Major criteriaUnilateral vestibular schwannoma; first-degree relative other than a sibling with NF2-related schwannomatosis; two or more meningiomas; NF2 pathogenic variant in unaffected tissue such as blood
Minor criteriaEpendymoma; non-vestibular schwannoma; single meningioma (two of the same tumour type count as two minor criteria); juvenile subcapsular or cortical cataract, retinal hamartoma or epiretinal membrane in a person under 40 years
Diagnostic criteria for NF2-related schwannomatosis [2]. A variant allele fraction clearly below 50 percent in blood indicates mosaic NF2-related schwannomatosis.
Axial post-contrast T1-weighted MRI showing multiple enhancing extra-axial masses including both cerebellopontine angles and the falx
Multiple enhancing extra-axial masses on axial post-contrast T1-weighted MRI, at both cerebellopontine angles and along the falx and convexities, in a patient with NF2-related schwannomatosis. Multiple meningiomas and vestibular schwannomas at the internal auditory canal are the two lesions to separate. See Radiology OSCE Case 271 and the meningioma case for meningioma features.

Imaging. Image the whole neuraxis: post-contrast brain MRI with thin sections through the internal auditory canals, and whole-spine MRI. Vestibular schwannomas enter and widen the internal auditory canal, meningiomas are dural-based with a broad base, and schwannomas of the trigeminal, oculomotor and lower cranial nerves and of spinal roots are common. In a 63-patient natural history study, 67.4 percent had spinal tumours and 49.2 percent meningiomas [39]. Ependymomas are intramedullary spinal cord tumours.

Children. Before hearing loss, children present with a meningioma, a non-vestibular schwannoma, a mononeuropathy, a cataract or seizures, and in a UK paediatric series every non-vestibular presentation was diagnosed late, by a mean of 3.2 years [40]. A meningioma or schwannoma in a child should prompt MRI of the internal auditory canals and spine and genetic referral.

Treatment response. Bevacizumab shrinks progressive vestibular schwannomas: in 31 patients, 55 percent had a radiographic response, defined as a volume reduction of 20 percent or more, and 57 percent a hearing response, with a median time to response of 3 months [41]. The original report showed a median pretreatment volumetric growth of 62 percent a year [42]. As in NF1, response is measured volumetrically.

Schwannomatosis: SMARCB1-, LZTR1- and 22q-related

Non-NF2 schwannomatosis produces multiple schwannomas of spinal and peripheral nerves, typically with chronic pain rather than a mass, and without the bilateral vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas and ependymomas of NF2-related disease [2]. The ERN GENTURIS guideline advises craniospinal MRI at symptomatic diagnosis and, in people with a confirmed variant and an affected relative, from 12 to 14 years; whole-body MRI can alternate with craniospinal MRI, ultrasound is useful for a painful limb without a palpable lump, and a rapidly growing tumour or loss of function should raise the possibility of MPNST, especially in SMARCB1-related disease [19].

Differential diagnosis

ConditionOverlap with NF1 or NF2Distinguishing features
Legius syndrome (SPRED1)Cafe-au-lait macules and frecklingNo neurofibromas, Lisch nodules, optic glioma or skeletal dysplasia [1]
Mosaic (segmental) NF1Neurofibromas or pigmentary changesConfined to one body segment [1]
Non-NF2 schwannomatosisMultiple schwannomasNo bilateral vestibular schwannomas, pain-predominant [2]
Sporadic solitary neurofibroma or schwannomaTarget and fascicular signsSingle lesion, no other criteria
Glioma versus FASIT2 hyperintense brain fociMass effect, enhancement or growth [6]
Other causes of posterior vertebral scallopingScalloping, widened canalDural ectasia of Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, acromegaly, raised intraspinal pressure; no neurofibromas
Fibrous dysplasia (McCune-Albright)Cafe-au-lait macules, skull base bone lesionGround-glass expansile bone, not sphenoid wing absence

Frequently asked questions

References

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Further reading: Osborn’s Brain, the standard neuroradiology text for the phakomatoses.

4 thoughts on “Neurofibromatosis Radiology: NF1 and NF2 Imaging and Criteria”

  1. asim

    Sir you are best, great contribution for residents.

    1. Dr. Amar Udare, MD

      Thank you for your kind words, Asim :).

  2. Abdelrahman Elshamsy

    Many thanks, It is very simple and easy way to give information.

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