What does the disease Neurofibromatosis (nf) cause in young children?
Neurofibromatosis, also known as NF and formally known as von Recklinghausen’s Disease is a genetic disorder of the nervous system that results in the growth of noncancerous and cancerous tumors along nerves. There are three types of Neurofibromatosis (NF1, NF2, and Schwannomatosis), each with distinctive symptoms. The NF1 gene is located on chromosome 17 and affects one in 2,500 individuals. The NF2 gene is located on chromosome 22 and affects one in 25,000. Additional complications include hearing and vision loss, bone deformities, cancer, disfigurement, and learning delays – as well as many other challenges. NF is worldwide in distribution and affects both sexes equally. It has no particular racial, geographic, or ethnic inclination. An individual with NF has a 50% chance of passing on to his or her children. Therefore, anyone’s child or grandchild can be born with NF. Despite its frequency, NF is still unknown to most people. Joseph Merrick, whose condition was depicted in the play
