Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Lung Cancer: An Unusual Clinical Encounter

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by various clinical features including café-au-lait spots, cutaneous neurofibromas, axillary and inguinal freckling, and iris Lisch nodules. The association of lung cancer with NF1 is quite rare. Here, we discuss a case involving a 38-year-old male smoker with a previous diagnosis of NF1. He presented with a 1-year history of cough with scanty mucoid expectoration, breathlessness, and loss of appetite for 1 month. Upon investigation, the chest X-ray revealed collapse and consolidation of the right side and a minimal pleural effusion with multiple random nodules on the left side. Further imaging with a computed tomography scan of the thorax showed a mass in the right upper lobe with an abrupt cutoff of the corresponding segmental bronchi. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma lung.