Stroke in an infant prior to the development of manifestations of neurofibromatosis.

Although the association of strokes and von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis (NF-1) in young children is uncommon, it is obviously an important complication of this disorder. The few cases that have been described were reported primarily in the radiological literature. Moreover, most of the children reported were already known to have NF-1 or they had a positive family history for it. We report an infant who, at 7 weeks of age, suffered a stroke with resulting hemiparesis, prior to the development of other manifestations of NF-1. Pediatricians and neurologists need to be aware of this association and of the need for careful follow-up of infants with strokes, with particular attention to signs of neurofibromatosis.