Repeat operative or clinic-based procedures to debulk papillomatous disease have been the standard of care to date in the treatment of patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) caused by chronic infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6 or 11. Treatment of RRP is one of the rare instances in medicine of a chronic infection treated with repeat procedural intervention.
Systemic bevacizumab appears to have significant promise and a low complication profile for the most treatment- resistant and aggressive forms of papillomatosis.
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is incurable with current treatment modalities, but adjuvant therapies should be used when surgery cannot control the disease.
In untreated RRP patients presenting to three laryngology clinics, males had more anatomic sites affected by papilloma than females.