Diagnosing Neurofibromatosis

Type

Criteria

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)

If the patient has a parent diagnosed with NF1 and meets at least 1 of the criteria below, the diagnosis of NF1 is made.

If the patient does not have a parent diagnosed with NF1, 2 of the following must be present:

  • 6 café-au-lait macules > 5 mm in greatest diameter in prepubertal patients and > 15 mm in greatest diameter in postpubertal patients

  • Freckling in the axillary or inguinal region

  • 2 neurofibromas of any type or 1 plexiform neurofibroma

  • Optic pathway glioma

  • 2 Lisch nodules (iris hamartomas) identified by slit-lamp examination or 2 choroidal abnormalities

  • A distinctive osseous lesion (eg, sphenoid dysplasia, anterolateral bowing of the tibia, pseudarthrosis of a long bone)

  • A heterozygous pathogenic NF1 variant with a 50% variant allele fraction in apparently normal tissue (eg, white blood cells)

NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2)

1 of the following:

  • Bilateral vestibular schwannomas

  • An identical NF2 pathogenic variant in at least 2 anatomically distinct NF2-related tumors (schwannoma, meningioma, and/or ependymoma)

OR

Major criteria (2 of the following):

  • Unilateral vestibular schwannoma

  • First-degree relative (other than a sibling) with NF2

  • 2 meningiomas

  • NF2 pathogenic variant in an unaffected tissue (eg, blood)

OR

One major criterion and 2 of the following minor criteria:

  • Can be counted twice*: Ependymoma, meningioma†, nonvestibular schwannoma

  • Can be counted only once‡: Juvenile subcapsular or cortical cataract, retinal hamartoma, epiretinal membrane in a person < 40 years old, single meningioma

  • Pattern of genetic changes in unaffected tissue and in tumor tissue in NF2

Non-NF2 schwannomatosis (schwannomatosis)

SMARCB1- and LZTR1-related schwannomatosis (1 of the following):

  • ≥ 1 pathologically confirmed schwannoma or hybrid nerve sheath tumor and an SMARCB1 or LZTR1 pathogenic variant in an unaffected tissue (eg, blood)

  • A shared SMARCB1 or LZTR1 pathogenic variant in 2 schwannomas or hybrid nerve sheath tumors

22q-related schwannomatosis (all of the following):

  • Patient does not meet criteria for NF2-, SMARCB1-, or LZTR1-related schwannomatosis and does not have a germline DGCR8 pathogenic variant

  • Loss of heterozygosity of the same chromosome 22q markers in 2 anatomically distinct schwannomas or hybrid nerve sheath tumors

  • A different NF2 pathogenic variant in each tumor, which cannot be detected in unaffected tissue

Schwannomatosis not otherwise specified (both of the following, no genetic testing done):

  • ≥ 2 imaging-confirmed nonintradermal schwannomas

  • ≥ 1 pathologically confirmed schwannoma or hybrid sheath tumor

* These criteria can be counted twice (ie, 2 distinct schwannomas count as 2 minor criteria).

† Multiple meningiomas qualify as major criteria.

‡ These criteria can be counted only once (ie, bilateral cortical cataracts count as 1 minor criterion).

Data from Legius E, Messiaen L, Wolkenstein P, et al: Revised diagnostic criteria for neurofibromatosis type 1 and Legius syndrome: An international consensus recommendation. Genet Med 23(8):1506-1513, 2021. doi: 10.1038/s41436-021-01170-5, and from Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF): Diagnostic criteria for schwannomatosis: 2022 Update for neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and schwannomatosis. Accessed August 8, 2023.