Abstract
BACKGROUND: Laryngeal papillomas are by far the commonest benign laryngeal tumours. Could occur in children as juvenile papilloma and in adults adult papilloma. Presentation in children could be devastating with air way obstruction, apnoea, hoarseness and cough but in adults presentation is less insidious with hoarsenss . METHODS This is a study of all patients who were managed for laryngeal papillomas in otorhinolaryngology department of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu over an 11 year period (1988 – 1998). RESULTS The total study population of 54 patients consisted of 30 (55.6%) females and 24 (44.4%) males. The age range was 3 – 54 years. 64% were children (< 15 years). Most (63.0%) patients presented with hoarseness alone and 37.0% (all children) had further developed upper airway obstruction necessitating tracheostomy on 50% of them. A total of 101 surgery sessions (Direct Laryngoscopy and excision) were on children. There were 42.7% who had multiple surgeries, 95.7% of this were children. Majority (77.8%) had multiple laryngeal polyps (only 16.7%) of them adults). The remaining 22.2% with single polyp were all adults and histology was stratified squamous epithelial cells. CONCLUSION In this study surgical excision was the most used method of treatment. Unwarranted surgical excision, tracheostomy should be avoided to prevent spread to the trachea and bronchi.