Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

Abstract

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is the most frequently observed benign neoplasm of the larynx and the lesions may be observed at various locations of larynx, predominantly vocal cords. It possesses an exophytic growth pattern, a pinkish-white color, and it may be vegetative. This lesion is caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a viral pathogen, which may also result in warts on the cervix, vagina, penis, and anal area. As far back as the seventeenth century, RRP was described by Marcellus Donalus as a “wart in the throat.” It was Sir Morell Mackenzie who had first introduced the term “laryngeal papillomatosis” in the 1870s [1].