[Malignant transformation of a juvenile papilloma in a 11 year old boy]

The juvenile laryngeal papilloma is the most common benign neoplasm in children. Often the entity shows an elongated recurrent course of disease with an expansion into the tracheo-bronchial system. Sporadic malignant transformation in adults with a papilloma was reported after treatment with radiotherapy alone or in combination with the intake of additional toxins (e. g. nicotine). Similar reports of a malignant transformation of juvenile papillomas without additional risk factors is very rarely reported.

We report about an 11 year old boy, who suffered from a juvenile laryngeal papilloma. The multiple laser surgical procedures and a therapy with interferon resulted in a short-term remissions. A tracheotomy was inevitable. Seven months after the first diagnosis of the papilloma a regional metastatic squamous cell carcinoma was found. In spite of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy the boy died 11 months later.

The spontaneous malignant transformation of a juvenile papilloma in a squamous cell carcinoma is extremely rare. The surgical intervention as well the radiotherapy and chemotherapy using interferon was unsuccessful due to the high grade of malignancy. In view of the very short time interval between first diagnosis of juvenile papilloma and the subsequent malignant transformation, one must consider either the potential presence of a very aggressive form of papilloma or alternative two coincident independent diseases.