Paediatric Extensive Cervical Plexiform Neurofibroma Mimicking a Parotid Lesion

Abstract

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), also known as von Recklinghausen’s disease is a multisystem genetic disorder that occurs with an incidence of 1 in 4000 live births. Plexiform nmeurofibroma (PN) is a rare important variant of NF1, seen in 5 to 15% of cases. We report a 7-year-old boy, without family history of neurofibromatosis presented with left neck swelling associated with multiple café au lait spots for one-year duration. Computed tomography of head and neck revealed an extensive soft tissue lesion involving the left parapharyngeal, carotid space and parotid space encasing the left internal and common carotid artery until its origin at the arch of aorta with erosion of the basiocciput. He underwent transcervical excision of the lesion, which was confirmed histopathologically as PN.