Juvenile recurrent respiratory papilloma: Variable intersurgical intervals

Systematic review of the use of human papillomavirus vaccine as adjuvant therapy for juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

INTRODUCTION

Juvenile-onset RRP (JoRRP) is considered a rare disease with high morbidity and healthcare costs. The management of RRP has received much scientific attention in recent years and several treatment methodologies have been explored, including therapeutic use of HPV vaccine. There has been increasing interest in the off-label use of the vaccine in virus-induced disease processes such as RRP, due to its immunomodulatory effect and activating role on the innate and adaptive immune system. This review explores the efficacy of the HPV vaccination as a therapeutic tool in the pediatric population.

METHODS

The review of the English literature included three electronic databases, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Cochrane, without publication date restrictions. Studies and reports identified by the database search were reviewed and assessed by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

The literature searches identified 768 unique citations, from which 204 duplicates were removed (n = 564). A total of 547 articles were excluded as they did not meet our inclusion criteria. A total of 12 studies (3 experimental studies, 3 case series, 6 case reports) that met the inclusion criteria and reported one or more of the outcomes of interest were included for our review. The assessment of the outcome measures evaluated (number of surgeries during the follow-up period, ISI, SPM, Derkay or severity scores, and remission status) revealed that eight out of 12 studies included in the review showed varying degrees of potential benefits from the administration of the vaccine as a treatment modality compared to surgical interventions and/or concurrent adjuvant therapies alone.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that while the therapeutic use of HPV vaccination has shown promise for some JoRRP patients, it overall remains uncertain with the currently available data. There is a need for a prospective multi-centric trial with a larger sample size to fully characterize the potential use of the vaccine in the management of JoRRP.

Juvenile-Onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis Diagnosis and Management - A Developing Country Review

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a condition caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), usually HPV types 6 and 11, which is characterized by recurrent papillomas of the respiratory tract, mainly the larynx. Patients usually present between the ages of 2 and 6 years. The initial presenting symptom is progressive dysphonia, followed by stridor and respiratory distress. Treatment consists of repeated microlaryngoscopic procedures to remove the papillomas as there is no cure. The poor availability and accessibility of appropriate healthcare services in developing countries are barriers to the early diagnosis and appropriate management of patients with juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JoRRP), requiring many patients to have a tracheostomy. The introduction of prophylactic vaccines that include HPV6 and HPV11 is necessary in order to reduce the incidence of JoRRP.

Age at diagnosis, but not HPV type, is strongly associated with clinical course in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Background

Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) is a rare disease characterized by the growth of papillomas in the airway and especially the larynx. The clinical course is highly variable among individuals and there is poor understanding of the factors that drive an aggressive vs an indolent course.

Methods

A convenience cohort of 339 affected subjects with papillomas positive for only HPV6 or HPV11 and clinical course data available for 1 year or more, from a large multicenter international study were included. Exploratory data analysis was conducted followed by inferential analyses with frequentist and Bayesian statistics.

Results

We examined 339 subjects: 82% were diagnosed prior to the age of 18 years, 65% were infected with HPV6, and 69% had an aggressive clinical course. When comparing age at diagnosis with clinical course, the probability of aggressiveness is high for children under five years of age then drops rapidly. For patients diagnosed after the age of 10 years, an indolent course is more common. After accounting for confounding between HPV11 and young age, HPV type was minimally associated with aggressiveness. Fast and Frugal Trees (FFTs) were utilized to determine which algorithms yield the highest accuracy to classify patients as having an indolent or aggressive clinical course and consistently created a branch for diagnostic age at ~5 years old. There was no reliable strong association between clinical course and socioeconomic or parental factors.

Conclusion

In the largest cohort of its type, we have identified a critical age at diagnosis which demarcates a more aggressive from less aggressive clinical course.

Safety and Immunogenicity of a Nonadjuvant Human Papillomavirus Type 6 Virus-like Particle Vaccine in Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

OBJECTIVES

To assess the safety and immunogenicity of a nonadjuvant human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6 L1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in local Chinese patients.

METHODS

Patients with RRP who had undergone surgical treatment before intramuscular administration of an escalating dose of HPV type 6 L1 VLPs (1, 5, and 25 µg at 4 weekly intervals) as part of their treatment were followed up for more than 10 years. Efficacy was assessed by detecting the vaccine-induced type-specific antibody titer, calculating the intersurgical interval, and observing recurrence or remission of papillomas after receiving the vaccine.

RESULTS

Nonadjuvant HPV vaccine was generally well tolerated, with no serious vaccine-related adverse episodes. It induced seroconversion for each vaccine-related HPV type. At week 12 (4 weeks after injecting 25 µg), the vaccine-induced type-specific antibody titer was significantly high. Analysis of all patients found a significant increase in the intersurgical interval and decrease in the scores. One patient (16.7%; female) experienced complete remission. Five patients (83.3%) (two males and three females) experienced partial remission. In total, complete or partial remission was achieved in six (100%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Administration of nonadjuvant HPV type 6 L1 VLPs vaccine to RRP was generally well tolerated and highly immunogenic.

Juvenile recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: 10-year audit and Australian prevalence estimates

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

To estimate the prevalence of juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in Australia, describe its epidemiological profile, and assess the positive predictive value of International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD-10) code D14.1 (benign neoplasm of larynx) in children for hospitalization due to RRP.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

Retrospective case review undertaken at the three tertiary pediatric hospitals in New South Wales (Australia's largest state), by reviewing medical records of patients aged 0 to 16 years admitted during 2000-2009 containing the ICD-10 Australian modification code D14.1 or other possible disease (D14.2-4, D14.3, D14.4) and RRP-related procedure codes. For RRP diagnoses, we recorded treatment dates, length of stay, extent of disease, and surgical and adjuvant treatments. The positive predictive value (PPV) of code D14.1 and median number of hospitalizations per year were applied to national hospital separations data from 2000/2001 to 2012/2013 to estimate disease prevalence.

RESULTS

We identified 30 cases of RRP using code D14.1, which had a PPV of 98.1%, with no further cases identified using other codes. Fifty-seven percent of cases were female, median age of onset was 36 months, and median treatment duration was 36 months (mean = 40 months, range = 1-118). There was one patient death. Between 2000 and 2013, the estimated national prevalence rate was 0.81 per 100,000 aged < 15 years, peaking at age 5 to 9 years (1.1 per 100,000).

CONCLUSIONS

RRP prevalence can be monitored after human papillomavirus vaccination programs using routine hospital data.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4 Laryngoscope, 126:2827-2832, 2016.

Effectiveness of the human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) vaccine in the treatment of children with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) (types 6, 11, 16, and 18) vaccine influences the clinical course of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) when administered to a group of patients with this condition.

METHODS

Uncontrolled intervention study of patients with juvenile-onset RRP examined at the Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, Federal University of São Paulo, where nine patients between the ages of nine and 17 received three doses of the prophylactic quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil(®)) and were followed for one year. Disease staging, intervals between relapses, intervals between surgeries, and the number of surgeries during the year prior to vaccination and during the first year after vaccination were compared.

RESULTS

Eight patients were infected with HPV-6 and one with HPV-11. There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical scores (p=0.083), anatomical scores (p=0.257), intervals between relapses (p=0.062), intervals between surgeries (p=0.357), or the numbers of surgeries (p=0.180) when the years before and after vaccination were compared. All patients had relapses following vaccination.

CONCLUSION

Patients with juvenile-onset RRP experienced a similar clinical course in the year after versus the year before vaccination with Gardasil(®).

Photodynamic therapy for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

BACKGROUND

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a benign condition of the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. It is characterised by recurrent papillomatous lesions and is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). Frequent recurrence and rapid papilloma growth are common and in part responsible for the onset of potentially life-threatening symptoms. Most patients afflicted by the condition will require repeated surgical treatments to maintain their airway, and these may result in scarring and voice problems. Photodynamic therapy introduces a light-sensitising agent, which is administered either orally or by injection. This substance (called a photo-sensitiser) is selectively retained in hyperplastic and neoplastic tissue, including papilloma. It is then activated by light of a specific wavelength and may be used as a sole or adjuvant treatment for RRP.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of photodynamic therapy in the management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in children and adults.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PubMed; EMBASE; CINAHL; Web of Science; Cambridge Scientific Abstracts; ICTRP and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the search was 27 January 2014.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials utilising photodynamic therapy as sole or adjuvant therapy in participants of any age with proven RRP versus control intervention. Primary outcome measures were symptom improvement (respiratory distress/dyspnoea and voice quality), quality of life improvement and recurrence-free interval. Secondary outcomes included reduction in the frequency of surgical intervention, reduction in disease volume and adverse effects of treatment.  

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used the standard methodological procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. Meta-analysis was not possible and results are presented descriptively.

MAIN RESULTS

We included one trial with a total of 23 participants. This study was at high risk of bias. None of our primary outcomes and only one of our secondary outcomes (reduction in volume of disease, assessed endoscopically) was measured in the study. There was no significant difference between the groups (very low-quality evidence). Adverse effects reported included airway swelling requiring intubation in a child with severe RRP a few hours after photodynamic therapy.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence from high-quality randomised controlled trials to determine whether photodynamic therapy alters the course of disease or provides an added benefit to surgery in patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Multicentre randomised controlled trials with appropriate sample sizes and long-term follow-up are required to evaluate whether photodynamic therapy is of benefit. Outcomes such as improvement in symptoms (respiratory function and voice quality) and quality of life should be measured in future trials.

Primary lung and large airway neoplasms in children: current imaging evaluation with multidetector computed tomography

Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) offers an important noninvasive imaging modality for confirmation and further characterization of primary lung and large airway neoplasms encountered in pediatric patients. Children represent a unique challenge in imaging, not only because of unique patient factors (eg, inability to follow instructions, motion, need for sedation) but because of the technical factors that must be optimized to reduce radiation dose. This article reviews an MDCT imaging algorithm, up-to-date imaging techniques, and clinical applications of MDCT for evaluating benign and malignant primary neoplasms of lung and large airway in infants and children.

HPV associated with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Papillomaviruses are members of the Papillomaviridae family. Over 150 HPV types have been identified. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a chronic condition caused by HPV characterized by recurrent papillomas of the respiratory tract, mainly the larynx. During the early stages, the condition presents with hoarseness, while more advanced disease presents with stridor and respiratory distress. There is no specific cure and treatment consists of repeated surgical procedures to remove the papillomas. Most patients eventually go into remission, but some suffer for many years with this condition, which may be fatal. HPV-6 and HPV-11 are the HPV types most commonly associated with RRP. Although most studies have found RRP due to HPV-11 to be more aggressive than disease due to HPV-6, the variability in disease aggressiveness is probably multifactorial. Information regarding the current epidemiology, molecular diversity and host immune responses is important for strategizing ways to reduce disease. Data on HPV genotypes associated with RRP would provide valuable information for vaccination programs to reduce the incidence of these genotypes in mothers and, in the long term, reduce the incidence of RRP in children. This review focuses on HPV-6 and HPV-11 as the HPV types that cause RRP, and discusses the viral genome and replication, clinical presentation of RRP, current techniques of diagnosis and genotyping, and the molecular diversity of HPV-6 and HPV-11.

Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor therapy for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

The epidermal growth factor pathway has been implicated in various tumors, including human papillomavirus (HPV) lesions such as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). Due to the presence of epidermal growth factor receptors in RRP, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have been utilized as adjuvant therapy. This case series examines the response to EGFR inhibitors in RRP. Four patients with life-threatening RRP were treated with EGFR inhibitors. Operative frequency and anatomical Derkay scores were calculated prior to, and following EGFR inhibitor treatment via retrospective chart review. The anatomical Derkay score decreased for all four patients after initiation of EGFR inhibitor therapy. In one patient, the operative frequency increased after switching to an intravenous inhibitor after loss of control with an oral inhibitor. In the other patients there was a greater than 20% decrease in operative frequency in one and a more than doubling in the time between procedures in two.  This study suggests that EGFR inhibitors are a potential adjuvant therapy in RRP and deserve further study in a larger number of patients.