PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF CLINICAL FINDINGS IN HISTOLOGICALLY VERIFIED ADULT-ONSET LARYNGEAL PAPILLOMAS

A retrospective study of adult-onset laryngeal papilloma was performed to clarify whether any clinical features at the time of diagnosis cou ld predict its course. All patients had a histologically confirmed dia gnosis of laryngeal papillomas and were treated at Helsinki University Hospital between 1975 and 1994. Those with adult-onset disease and fo llow-up exceeding 1 year (n = 74) entered the study. Based on the case records surveyed, results suggested two risk factors for frequent lar yngeal procedures: young age at onset of papilloma and a lesion extend ing to the anterior third of the vocal folds. It was not possible to p redict the course of the disease by such clinical findings as symptoms or size or number of primary papilloma lesions. As regards the recurr ence of disease, the classic division of adult-onset laryngeal papillo ma into solitary and multiple type was not found to be clinically rele vant.