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).