HAIR WHORL AS AN INDICATOR OF A MEDIASTINAL PLEXIFORM NEUROFIBROMA

We report a boy with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) who had nonspecif ic respiratory symptoms and a mediastinal mass. In addition to multipl e cafe au lait macules and subcutaneous neurofibromas, he had a hair w horl over the spine at the level of a deep mediastinal mass demonstrat ed by CT scan and NIR examination. Thoracoscopy and biopsy of the mass revealed a plexiform neurofibroma. The clinical sign of a hair whorl may assist the clinician in early recognition of a paraspinal plexifor m neurofibroma.