In 1882 von Recklinghausen first described this disease and named it neurofibromatosis. In 1894 Landowsky noted the fundamental symptoms of the condition, namely, cutaneous pigmentation and tumors of the skin and nerves. Later it was discovered that the skeleton was also involved. Psychic disorders were often noted (Depetris and associates1). Later records showed that the neurofibromatosis was associated in some cases with cranial lesions and in others with disturbances of the glands of internal secretion and with ocular disorders or abnormalities of the ocular adnexa. The name was the subject of dispute ; thus, fibrogliomatosis and schwannosis were mentioned as appropriate designations (Herrmann and Morel2). The familial, hereditary, congenital character of the disease was demonstrated. The condition shows a hereditary disposition or propensity to occur irregularly through several generations. Abortive (incomplete) and monosymptomatic forms have been mentioned.
The condition must not be confused with the other disease described by