Low Bone Mass and Recurrent Fractures in Neurofibromatosis With Concomitant Hemoglobin SC Disease

Bone disease and bone loss are common features in certain monogenic diseases such as RASopathies, including neurofibromatosis (NF). Similarly, bone complications are frequent in hemoglobinopathies, another group of Mendelian diseases. This paper reports a young patient with both NF and hemoglobin SC (HbSC) diseases who had multiple vertebral fractures with osteopenia. We also discuss the cellular and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying both diseases and the factors responsible for bone pain and low bone mass in NF and hemoglobinopathies such as HbSC. This case emphasizes the importance of careful evaluation and management of osteoporosis in patients with HbSC and NF1, as both are relatively common monogenic diseases in certain communities.