Efficacy of cidofovir in recurrent juvenile respiratory papillomatosis

The efficacy of cidofovir in juvenile recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JRRP) remains uncertain due to the lack of published case-control studies. AIM: To establish factors affecting the progression of JRRP prognosis, and to evaluate cidofovir for eradicating JRRP. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: 22 children with JRRP were evaluated at a referral center. All children underwent surgical debulking, followed by cidofovir injection (Group 2) or not (Group 1). Age at diagnosis was correlated with the Derkay score and disease outcome. Disease progression was compared between groups 1 and 2. RESULTS: fifteen children were considered disease-free; 8 were in Group 2 and 7 in Group 1. Age and total and clinical scores (P<0.05) were negatively correlated. The mean number of surgeries required to control the disease was identical in both groups; the duration of treatment until remission was significantly higher in Group 1 (P<0,05). CONCLUSION: JRRP is more aggressive in earlier onset disease. The duration of treatment was significantly lower in patients treated with cidofovir until eradication of JRRP compared to patients treated with surgery only.