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Home /
Quick Facts: Children's Health Issues /
Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders in Children /
... /
Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis /
IN THIS TOPIC

What is recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP)?

What causes RRP?

What are the symptoms of RRP?

How can doctors tell if my child has RRP?

How do doctors treat RRP?

OTHER TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER

Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders in Children
Acute Middle Ear Infection in Children
Chronic Middle Ear Infection in Children
Fluid in the Ear (Secretory Otitis Media) in Children
Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids
Hearing Problems in Children
Juvenile Angiofibromas
Neck Lumps in Children
Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Test your knowledge

Cholestasis
Cholestasis is reduction or stoppage of the flow of bile, the digestive fluid produced by the liver. It can be caused by disorders of the liver, bile duct, or pancreas. Which of the following is a key symptom that is almost always present in people with cholestasis? 

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Quick Facts

Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Last full review/revision Jul 2020| Content last modified Jul 2020
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Get the full details

What is recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP)?

"Recurrent" means something keeps happening again and again. "Respiratory" refers to the throat, voice box, and windpipe down to the lungs. "Papillomatosis" refers to wart-like growths caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

RRP is a rare condition that causes one or more growths on a child’s voice box.

  • RRP is most common in children 1 to 4 years old

  • It causes a change in the child's voice, and sometimes difficulty breathing

  • Doctors usually do surgery to remove the growths

  • Many children will need several surgeries throughout childhood, because the growths keep coming back

What causes RRP?

RRP is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the same virus that causes genital warts. RPR can be passed from an infected mother with genital warts through the birth canal to her baby at birth. Luckily, most infants who are infected with HPV don't get RRP.

What are the symptoms of RRP?

  • Weak cry

  • Hoarse or scratchy voice

  • Difficulty breathing if the growths have spread to the lungs or windpipe

How can doctors tell if my child has RRP?

Doctors usually look down your child's throat with a viewing tube and look at your child’s voice box If they see a growth, they'll remove a small bit of it to look at under a microscope.

How do doctors treat RRP?

  • Doctors usually do surgery or use a laser to remove the growths

Several treatments may be needed. Doctors sometimes also give antiviral medicines.

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© 2020 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA)
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