A neurofibroma is a benign, yellow-white tumor of _________ that is common in young to middle-aged adults.

A neurofibroma is a benign, yellow-white tumor of _________ that is common in young to middle-aged adults.

• A. Schwann cells
• B. Astrocytes
• C. Epithelial cells
• D. Connective tissue

Answer: (B)

Neurofibromas arise from the peripheral nerve sheath, driven primarily by Schwann cells—the glial cells that form the myelin wrapping around peripheral nerves. That makes the tumor a peripheral nerve sheath tumor, often presenting as a soft, yellow-white mass in young to middle-aged adults. Astrocytes are CNS glia and give rise to astrocytomas, which is a different category; epithelial cells form carcinomas, and while connective tissue can be part of the tumor’s stroma, the defining cellular origin here is the Schwann cell.

Neurofibromas arise from the peripheral nerve sheath, driven primarily by Schwann cells—the glial cells that form the myelin wrapping around peripheral nerves. That makes the tumor a peripheral nerve sheath tumor, often presenting as a soft, yellow-white mass in young to middle-aged adults. Astrocytes are CNS glia and give rise to astrocytomas, which is a different category; epithelial cells form carcinomas, and while connective tissue can be part of the tumor’s stroma, the defining cellular origin here is the Schwann cell.