A 585-nanometer pulsed dye laser treatment of laryngeal papillomas: preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
Standard management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) currently consists of CO2 laser microsurgical ablation of papillomas. Because of the recurrent nature of this viral disease, patients are often faced with significant cumulative risk of soft tissue complications. As a minimally traumatic alternative to management of RRP, we have investigated the use of the 585-nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) to cause regression of papillomas by selective eradication of the tumor microvasculature.


METHODS
Nonrandomized prospective pilot study.


METHODS
Patients with laryngeal papillomas were treated with the PDL at fluences of 6 J/cm2 (double pulses per irradiated site), 8 J/cm2 (single pulses), and 10 J/cm2 (single pulses), at noncritical areas within the larynx, using a specially designed micromanipulator. Lesions on the true cords were treated with the CO2 laser, using standard methodology.


RESULTS
Clinical examination of three patients treated to date showed that PDL treatment appeared to produce complete regression of papillomas. Unlike the sites of lesions treated by the CO2 laser, the epithelial surface at the PDL treatment sites was preserved intact.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary results suggest the PDL may eradicate respiratory papillomas with minimal damage to normal laryngeal tissue. Further analysis of the ongoing study is required to demonstrate potential benefits of the technique.
Otolaryngology Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. kathleen.mcmillan@es.nemc.org
K
K
McMillan
S M
SM
Shapshay
J A
JA
McGilligan
Z
Z
Wang
E E
EE
Rebeiz
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010212:Papilloma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies