Recommendations of the Polish Medical Radiological Society regarding MRI in patients with plexiform neurofibromas in the course of neurofibromatosis type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetically determined disorder with a complex clinical picture, including disorders of many systems and organs, that predisposes to the development of various cancers. Approximately 10-30% of patients with NF1 develop plexiform neurofibromas (PN), non-malignant tumours growing along the nerves, tending to infiltrate nerves and nerve plexuses, and may grow into internal organs, the spinal canal, and middle ear, deforming bones and various regions of the body. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a key role in the management of individuals during the course of PN, as a screening tool at baseline, for surveillance (in individuals with known PN), to evaluate treatment response, and for preoperative assessment for surgical planning. The practical recommendations presented in this article aim to standardise the protocol for MRI examination of PN in the course of NF1 for the purpose of treatment in a clinical program in Poland. The protocol, covering volumetric MRI examination, imaging schedule, determination of the target change, the technique for measuring the volume of lesions, and suspected malignant transformation, is intended to be the minimum set of MRI sequences and views that must be included in every examination of these patients.