Spontaneous Subcutaneous Hemorrhage in a Case of Type I Neurofibromatosis: A Rare Complication of a Rare Disease

Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is a multisystem disorder characterized by multiple café-au-lait macules, intertriginous freckling, multiple cutaneous neurofibromas, and learning disabilities or behavior problems.Neurofibromatosis type I is usually diagnosed during childhood.Symptoms are seen at birth or shortly afterward and almost always by age 10.Symptoms tend to be mild to moderate, but they can vary from person to person.Skeletal abnormalities, brain tumors, peripheral nerve tumors, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, learning disabilities, attention deficits, and social and behavioral problems are known reported complications of NF1.Spontaneous bleeding is a rarely reported complication of NF1.Bleeding is the result of both an increased vascular fragility and primary hemostasis disorders.Here, we discuss a case of a 28-year-old male of NF1 presenting to us with spontaneous subcutaneous hemorrhage in his skin lesions, which resolved on follow-up.