Management of Laryngeal Papillomatosis in Children

Rarely, any part of the airway, from the nasal vestibule to the terminal bronchi, can become infected with low-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11. The tonsillar pillars, uvula, and laryngeal commissure epithelium are commonly affected by exophytic papillomas. Laryngeal papillomatosis affects an estimated 4.3 out of every 100,000 children and 1.8 out of every 100,000 adults. When diagnosed before 12, JoRRPs are said to be juvenile-onset. Approximately equal numbers of males and females are present between the ages of 2 and 6. In contrast to Europe and South America, where RRP is more common in adults, it is more common in children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. JoRRP is transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or acquired from an HPV-positive mother at birth. Unlike in adults, the disease typically progresses more rapidly in children. Human papillomavirus is a member of the papovavirus family; it is an icosahedral-shaped, naked virus with a circular, supercoiled double-stranded DNA genome. Southern blot hybridization confirmed the presence of HPV DNA in laryngeal papillomas. It allowed for identifying HPV types 6 and 11 in the papillomas, proving the link between HPV and papillomas.