Q: What is the relationship between the terms RRP, HPV, and Papilloma?
A: The underlying disorder is HPV (human papilloma virus) infection of the airway, especially the larynx. The virus “sets up house” chronically inside airway and stimulates a kind of proliferation called papillomas, or papillomatosis. Because these lesions tend to recur after surgical removal, the clinical syndrome has become referred to as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).