Ear Nose Throat J. 2007 Jul;86(7):379
FIRST PARAGRAPH: Squamous papilloma (SP) is the most common benign laryngeal tumor. It is caused by the human papillomavirus. Clinically, SP rarely occurs as a solitary lesion; most arise as multiple, recurrent tumors, usually in children. SPs generally originate in the true and false vocal folds; they may spread to other sites in the oral cavity and aerodigestive tract. They form at the juxtaposition of the squamous and respiratory epithelia. If an area of juxtaposition is artificially induced (such as by squamous metaplasia), spread of the disease may result. There is a characteristic bimodal age distribution, with a juvenile peak at 5 years and an adult peak between 20 and 40 years. The disease course tends to be more aggressive in children, who frequently develop recurrent and progressive disease. The relatively small diameter of the airways in children may account for some of the severe respiratory embarrassment they experience. There is a slight male predominance in adults. Patients usually present with dysphonia and hoarseness.
PubMed ID: 17702311
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