Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

A 6-year-review of patients who presented with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) to our hospital from January 1996 to December 2001 was carried out. Ten cases were identified, of which six were juvenile-onset RRP. Hoarseness was the most common symptom, noted in nine (90%) patients. Other clinical presentations included cough, stridor and aphonia. All patients had glottic papillomas; two had multiple sites of involvement. One patient underwent a tracheostomy that revealed papillomas over the trachea, bronchus and lung parenchyma. Half of the patients were Chinese. Of the six cases of juvenile-onset RRP, three patients were Malay, two Chinese and one Indian. Three Chinese and one German patient had adult-onset RRP. Among the juvenile-onset RRP cases, the mean age at presentation was 2 years, while for adult-onset RRP, it was 42 years. Juvenile-onset RRP was more common in females. There were more papillomas over more sites in patients with juvenile-onset RRP than with adult-onset disease. Subglottic involvement was noted in the juvenile-onset RRP cases. All patients were treated with CO2 laser therapy, but there was complete remission of the papillomas in only two cases.