[Mast cells in the laryngeal papillomatosis of the child].

Mast cells are probably involved in the immunitary phenomena thought to be responsible for the evolution of laryngeal papillomatosis in children, particularly as a consequence of the correlation between such cells and eosinophile granulocytes. A morphological study of 9 cases in subjects aged between 2 and 9 yr is reported. The mean number of mast cells in the various phases of the diseases was assessed. There was a significant decrease in mast cell numbers right from the first stages of the lesion to the terminal stage prior to regression.