Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis--the Manchester experience, 1974-1992.

A series of 59 patients of all ages with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) treated over an 18-year period is presented. A number of these patients were initially diagnosed in childhood but required treatment throughout adult life. The frequency of laser treatment was not related to either disease duration or age at onset. In 28 patients, the HPV type was identified, showing that HPV type 11 was more common in children and ran a more protracted clinical course. The requirement for tracheostomy in this series was small, whereas the incidence of malignant change in adult patients was significant.