Laryngeal papillomas: clinical aspects in a series of 231 patients.

The records of 231 patients with laryngeal papillomas were reviewed. Considering age at onset and sex distribution, the patients were divided into four groups: juvenile solitary, juvenile multiple, adult solitary, and adult multiple papillomas. The main conclusions are (1) it is in general impossible to predict the course in individual cases, but solitary papillomas in adults follow a less severe course than do juvenile and adult multiple cases; (2) late recurrences (up to 42 years) makes it impossible to declare a patient cured; (3) there is no linkage between puberty and the disappearance of laryngeal papillomas; (4) a latent infection, acquired at or before birth, is unlikely to be responsible for adult papillomas.