A 585-nanometer pulsed dye laser treatment of laryngeal papillomas: Preliminary report

Objectives/Hypothesis: 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. Study Design: Nonrandomized prospective pilot study. Methods: Patients with laryngeal papillomas were treated with the PDL at fluences of 6 J/cm ² (double pulses per irradiated site), 8 J/cm ² (single pulses), and 10 J/cm ² (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.