The relationship of histologic and clinical factors in laryngeal papillomatosis.

Laryngeal papillomatosis is a disease that can lead to many surgical procedures, especially in children, and is potentially lethal. In this study, we reviewed 83 cases that yielded 902 separate laryngoscopy specimens to determine if any clinical or histologic findings were prognostic. "Juvenile" (n = 73) and "adult" (n = 10) cases were classified according to the number of separate lesions and the number of recurrences, but not necessarily according to age. Four prognostic indicators were constructed for the juvenile group and were analyzed by linear regression. Three new microscopic classifications were used: papillary, acanthomatous, and angiokeratotic. In juvenile cases, the last two categories appeared to be somewhat prognostic, along with several other factors. Some histopathologic findings contradicted classic descriptions. Differences in clinical manifestation and similarities in histopathology may suggest differential responses to the same causal agent.