[Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: a cause of progressive respiratory distress]

Abstract

A 5-year-old girl was brought to the emergency department because of respiratory distress of 3 months' evolution that had worsened over the previous 3 weeks. Cervical radiograph and cervical computerized axial tomography showed an endolaryngeal mass almost completely occluding the airway. Urgent laryngoscopy revealed an endolaryngeal fleshy mass, which was excised during the procedure. Histological diagnosis was laryngeal papilloma. Although infrequent in children, laryngeal papilloma is the most common laryngeal tumor in pediatrics. It is currently named juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. The human papilloma virus (HPV) causes the disease by vertical transmission from a mother with active or latent vulvar HPV infection.