LISCH NODULES

Course overview

LISCH NODULES, TRADITIONALLY DESCRIBED AS IRIS HAMARTOMAS ARE ONE OF THE PATHOGNOMIC MARKERS OF NEUROFIBROMATOSIS TYPE 1 (NF1) AND ARE RARELY SEEN IN INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT NF1 LIKE SEGMENTAL NEUROFIBROMATOSIS AND WATSON SYNDROME. LISCH NODULES AS SUCH DO NOT CAUSE ANY VISUAL DISTURBANCES, BUT THE ASSOCIATED LIFE-THREATENING AS WELL AS VISION-THREATENING CONDITIONS, MERITS DISCUSSION. LISCH NODULES ARE NOT SEEN IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS AND ARE PRESENT IN ALMOST 90% TO 100% OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH NF1 OVER THE AGE OF 20 YEARS. THESE NODULES ARE MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN YOUNGER PATIENTS THAN ARE NEUROFIBROMAS AND ARE THEREFORE HELPFUL IN CLINCHING THE DIAGNOSIS IN YOUNGER PATIENTS. THIS ACTIVITY DISCUSSES THE ETIOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, GENETIC DISORDER, OCULAR AND SYSTEMIC ASSOCIATIONS OF LISCH NODULES IN DETAIL AS WELL AS ASSOCIATED VISION-THREATENING AND LIFE-THREATENING COMPLICATIONS OF NEUROFIBROMATOSIS TYPE 1. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH LISCH NODULES.