Laryngeal papillomatosis.

The papilloma is one of the most common benign neoplasms of the larynx. Laryngeal papillomatosis is a disease of widespread papilloma formation that most commonly affects the larynx but may involve multiple areas of the aerodigestive tract. Typically, onset of disease during childhood is associated with much more aggressive disease. The etiology of this disease is the human papillomavirus. Diagnosis is often delayed because the symptoms mimic a variety of other diseases. Laryngeal papillomatosis can also be extremely frustrating to treat since the lesions are most often recurrent and aggressive. This article reviews laryngeal papillomatosis, its differential diagnosis, presentation, and classifications as well as its treatment past, present, and future.