Cardiac changes in children with neurofibromatosis

High blood pressure (hypertension) is often associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder in which tumors grow along nerves and on or under the skin. Researchers at the Second University of Naples wanted to know if hypertension causes damage to the heart in children with NF1. They studied 73 children with the disorder (mean age of 12 years) and 30 comparable healthy children. Of the children with NF1, 12 had hypertension. These twelve had significant tissue changes in their heart muscle compared to other children with NF1 or the healthy children. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend blood pressure monitoring and echocardiograms for children with NF1. The research was published in the May 25, 2005, issue of the International Journal of Cardiology.