This page is for posting and exchanging information on hereditary diseases that run or may run in your Neff lines.

Genetic Blood Disorder in Neff/Naff Families 

Hello Neff cousins, 

I am in the Neff "D" line and would be grateful to hear from other Neff/Naff descendants who know of occurrences of a genetic blood disorder in their families. This disorder, characterized by fragile red corpuscles, can sometimes be fatal if not treated.  People who have the mild form or who are carriers may not know of the existence of this disorder in their family. I have it and had to have a splenectomy.  My mother's cousin died of it and her son had a splenectomy.  We've always known it was on the PA Dutch side of our family, but could never find it in any of our lines.  Recently, though, someone from the Naff "E-l" line posted a query about a blood disorder on the Naff e-mail list.  I don't know if it is the same disorder as ours.  There are some inconsistencies regarding ours that makes us wonder if I was misdiagnosed.  However, finding other Neffs with a genetic blood disorder is a clue that may help us begin to solve some mysteries that have existed regarding this disorder in our family. The Naff E-l line descendant who posted the query was seeking other Neffs/Naffs with a genetic blood disease.  It has occurred in her family and she had also met another E-l descendant with it. Since then we have met another Neff who may have it.  He doesn't know yet which Neff line he is in. Our family is the only D line I know of with the blood disorder. There are some mysteries about this that we are trying to solve. We hope other Neffs may have some clues that will help. 

Contact: Cathy Martin [email protected]

Dupuytren's Contractures

First described by Dr. Dupuytren around 1800, this affliction is passed on from father to son in the descendants of Northern European people; i.e., Swiss and Germans.  The symptoms are hard bumps in the palm of the hand and/or small bumps on the back of fingers at the joint locations.  The bumps at the joints can affect any finger, but the bumps in the palm usually start with the ring finger or the small finger.  The bumps on the joints are a problem only in that they really hurt if you bump them by accident.  The palm bumps grow will grow large enough to make holding things, such as a screw driver, uncomfortable and sometimes quite painful. 

The bumps are scar tissue running wild even though the hand was not injured.  The palm bumps actually surround the finger ligament and will grow along the full length of the ligament.  Eventually the scar tissue contracts, curling the affected finger until the finger nail threatens to grow through the palm, which used to happen pre-1800s.  Today, the finger gets amputated before that can happen.  The problem scar tissue can be removed with surgery, but the condition returns shortly.  After all, what do you have after surgery? - more scar tissue in the area.