Short stature in children and adults with neurofibromatosis.

Height characteristics in 108 children and 52 adults with neurofibromatosis (NF) were analyzed. Fifty percent of the children and 54% of the adults ranked below the 25th percentile for normal age and sex-adjusted height. It can be concluded that children with NF are short and have increased risk of becoming very short adults. Primary care practitioners and specialists working with these children should recognize the possibility of future short stature and initiate measures to prevent or minimize the psychosocial problems that may result. Given the pronounced risk for shortness, it is important to avoid unrealistic adult height predictions (based on parental stature) when counseling short children with the disease.