HPV genotype is a prognosticator for recurrence of respiratory papillomatosis in children

Objectives This study aimed to compare the prognosis according to age, genotype or human papillomavirus (HPV) variant in patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). Design Non‐concurrent cohort. Participants Forty one patients with RRP. Setting Tertiary referral hospital. Main Outcome Measures Disease severity was defined by the number of surgeries performed, and Derkay score at surgeries, obtained from medical records. HPV was detected and genotyped, and HPV‐6 variants were also assessed. Results Fifteen (36.58%) individuals belonged to the juvenile RRP group (JoRRP, less than 18 years), while 26 patients (63.41%) were allocated at the adult group (AoRRP, equal or more than 18 years). JoRRP patients needed, in average, a higher number of surgeries to control the disease than AoRRP patients (mean difference: 3.36). Also, JoRRP patients showed a higher Derkay score at each surgery (mean difference: 3.76). There was no significant difference in the number of surgeries when we compared patients infected with HPV‐6 or HPV‐11, neither in accordance to HPV‐6 variants. Patients with HPV‐11 presented a higher mean Derkay score at surgery than those with HPV‐6 (mean difference: 4.39); when co‐variated by age, we observed that this difference occurred only among JoRRP patients (mean difference: 6.15). Conclusions Age of onset of RRP has an important impact on number of surgeries to control disease. Patients with JoRRP and HPV‐11 tend to present worse Derkay score at each surgery. HPV genotype among adults and HPV‐6 variants had no impact on the outcome of the disease.