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Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in children: masquerader of common respiratory diseases

Michael C Zacharisen1, Stephen F Conley

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Section of Allergy and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. mzach@mcw.edu

Pediatrics
|November 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in children is a rare airway tumor. Early diagnosis via laryngoscopy is crucial, especially when common pediatric conditions do not respond to treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Oncology

Background:

  • Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is an uncommon, potentially life-threatening benign tumor affecting the pediatric respiratory tract, primarily the larynx.
  • Diagnosis can be challenging due to variable presentations and requires a high index of suspicion.

Observation:

  • A series of case reports illustrate the varied presentations of RRP in children.
  • Five pediatric patients (ages 2-6) were initially misdiagnosed with common conditions like croup, asthma, laryngeal hemangioma, and tracheomalacia.

Findings:

  • Misdiagnosed patients presented with chronic dyspnea, cough, stridor, dysphonia, weak cry, and syncope.
  • Prompt diagnosis led to surgical ablation of papillomata for RRP management.

Implications:

  • Flexible fiber-optic laryngoscopy is recommended for any child with voice disturbance and/or stridor.
  • Consider RRP in pediatric patients whose symptoms deviate from the typical course or treatment response of common airway diseases.
Abstract

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