Treatment

Neurofibroma treatment usually isn't needed for a single, small — less than an inch (about 2 centimeters) — tumor under the skin. Neurofibroma treatment usually involves monitoring or surgery.

• Monitoring. Your doctor may recommend observation of a tumor if it's in a place that makes removal difficult or if it's small and causes no problems. Observation includes regular checkups and imaging tests to see if your tumor is growing.

• Surgery to remove the tumor. Symptoms can be relieved by removing all or part of a neurofibroma that's pressing on nearby tissue or damaging organs. What type of operation is performed depends on the location and size of your tumor and whether it's intertwined with more than one nerve. The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible without causing further nerve damage.

  After surgery, you may need physical rehabilitation. Physical therapists and occupational therapists can guide you through specific exercises that keep your muscles and joints active, prevent stiffness, and help restore your function and feeling.

• Clinical trials. You may be eligible for a clinical trial testing an experimental treatment.