Laryngeal Papillomatosis

Abstract

A series of 107 cases of juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis, comprising only children, treated personally in the years 1947–64 with a follow-up of some years, is presented. Some problems concerning laryngeal papillomatosis such as onset of symptoms, influence of living conditions, influence of endocrine factors, and therapeutic procedures are discussed.

The rationale of intralaryngeal, submucous injections of estradiol into the base of removed growths is shown. The favourable, restraining effect of estradiol on papillomatosis is most probably not a specific endocrine but a local connective tissue response which increases the local resistance of tissue to a viral infection.

The results of such treatment are shown to be very good, in the long run, for all cases of papillomatosis. They were cured in the great majority of cases; in the remaining cases the papillomatous process was rendered inactive and strictly localized. The functional results were also very good.

Arguments for the viral etiology of laryngeal papillomatosis and their counter-arguments are presented. In the author's own virologic studies of 23 previously untreated papilloma cases occurring in children of 3–12 years no definite growth of viruses was obtained when inoculating with suspension of papillomatous tissue the following tissue cultures: human embryo fibroblasts, human thyroid and embryonal bovine kidney.