Laryngeal papillomatosis: analysis of 113 patients

Despite the low incidence of these diseases, both juvenile onset and adult onset laryngeal papillomatosis continue to concern otolaryngologists because treatment is often prolonged and unsatisfactory. Over many years various treatments have met with varied claims of success, yet no treatment today is universally accepted. We review the underlying clinical problems, the presentation, the treatment and eventual outcome of 113 patients seen at this hospital over the last 20 years with laryngeal papillomatosis. Using multivariate analysis of age at presentation, sex, smoking habits, initial site of disease, frequency of treatment and eventual outcome, two distinct patterns are revealed both between juvenile and adult onset disease and between male and female patients. Single-site lesions in adults have the best prognosis. Female children with multiple confluent lesions at presentation have the worst prognosis.