[Clinical study of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis]

To study the clinical behavior of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in order to find some factors correlated to the development of this disease, and to sum up the significance and experience of CO2 laser surgery.

Sixty patients with juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis from September 1995 to December 1998 were retrospectively analyzed.

The age of onset in 50 cases (83.3%) was below 4 years, and the peak-age was 2 years. The rates of recurrence were 72.0% and 45.7% (chi 2 = 4.71, P < 0.05) below and over 2 years, respectively. The rates of aggressive disease were 88.0% and 54.3% (chi 2 = 7.66, P < 0.01) below and over 2 years, respectively. The predominant sites of the disease were the vocal cords, the false vocal cords, the laryngeal ventricle, the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis and the subglottic region. Tracheostomy induced the development of tracheal papilloma, therefore should be avoided as possible. Laryngeal papilloma might be divided into four types on the basis of the growth manner and surface form corresponding to clinical behaviors. Five patients were followed-up for 1.5 years without recurrence, 18 patients had fewer recurrences following treatment, 33 patients were under treatment, and 3 patients died. Nineteen patients lost follow-up. The major complications included laryngeal and tracheal stenosis.

Clinical behaviors of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis were relevant to the age, growth form and tracheotomy. CO2 laser was an ideal instrument for ablation of the laryngeal papillomas with the following advantages: simple management, less bleeding, preservation of laryngeal structure and avoidance of tracheostomy.