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Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis with Lung Involvement

Daniel Glikman, M.D., and Fuad M. Baroody, M.D.

N Engl J Med 2005; 352:e22June 16, 2005

Article

A five-year-old girl received the diagnosis of respiratory papillomatosis after an episode of respiratory distress in which the collapse of the right lung required intubation. During bronchoscopy, a single laryngeal papilloma and multiple tracheal papillomas (Panel A) were seen (up to a distance of 1.5 cm above the carina), which partially obstructed the lumen of the airway. In situ hybridization of the pathological specimen with a probe for human papillomavirus serotypes 6 and 11 confirmed that it contained the virus. The patient was treated with interferon and with periodic laser removal of the recurrent laryngotracheal papillomas. Sixteen months later, pulmonary involvement with papillomatosis was evident and was complicated by several pneumonias. Therapy with ribavirin and systemic cidofovir failed. A computed tomographic scan of the chest obtained when the patient was 10 years old showed discrete nodular papillomas (Panel B, arrow) and multiple cavitary lesions in the lung fields. She subsequently died of complications of pneumonia.

Daniel Glikman, M.D.
Fuad M. Baroody, M.D.
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637

Citing Articles (3)

Citing Articles

  1. 1

    Sheng-Yuan RUAN, Kuan-Yu CHEN, Pan-Chyr YANG. (2009) Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis with pulmonary involvement: A case report and review of the literature. Respirology 14:1, 137-140
    CrossRef

  2. 2

    Jean-François Gélinas, John Manoukian, Aurore Côté. (2008) Lung involvement in juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: A systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 72:4, 433-452
    CrossRef

  3. 3

    G. Masson. (2005) Explorations électrophysiologiques dans les douleurs neuropathiques. Douleur et Analgésie 18:4, 143-149
    CrossRef