TSC, which can prove rather difficult to diagnose because of its rarity and the great variety of its symptoms, was first described and named in 1880 by the renowned French neurologist Desire-Magloire Bourneville. Bourneville applied the term "sclerose tubereuse" to the tumors of the brain typical in patients with the disease.

In most instances, symptoms of TSC will be apparent in the first six months of life. Once a diagnosis is made, treatment can begin. While, unfortunately, there is no cure for TSC, effective treatments are available for a variety of the symptoms. Drugs to prevent seizures are accessible to patients, and surgery can often correct skin abnormalities. For other manifestations of TSC, such as developmental delay, special educational and therapeutic programs can moderate these symptoms.

Optimistically, awareness about TSC is growing. Genetic testing is available that can identify family members who may carry a defective gene. Additionally, researchers have recently made important findings regarding the nature of TSC. Even within the last two years, remarkable progress has been made towards understanding how gene defects cause TSC.