title: Acyclovir in the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. A pilot study.
abstract: Six patients with severe, recalcitrant, juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis were treated with 7 independent trials of acyclovir. In 2 trials, patients received acyclovir in place of interferon-alpha; the remaining 5 trials were in patients not otherwise receiving chemotherapy. Quantitative analysis of overall disease extent, laryngeal involvement, and degree of glottic obstruction for the 6 months prior to acyclovir administration and during acyclovir administration demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in all parameters evaluated in those patients who were otherwise unmediated. The 2 patients who discontinued interferon-alpha immediately prior to beginning acyclovir demonstrated worsening disease, consistent with the well-recognized rebound phenomenon associated with stopping interferon. This study suggests that acyclovir decreases the extent of respiratory papillomatosis in patients with recalcitrant disease. The beneficial effect of acyclovir appears to be insufficient to counteract the rebound of disease when interferon is stopped abruptly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Endres
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D010212:Papilloma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000212:Acyclovir