CLEVELAND VOICE AND SLEEP
  • Home
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  • Services
    • Sleep Apnea and Snoring
    • Laryngeal Cancer Surgery
    • Complex Airway Surgery
    • Vocal Cord Microsurgery
    • Office-Based Procedures
  • Sleep
    • Surgical Therapy
    • Inspire Therapy
    • Throat Surgery
    • Non-Surgical Therapy
  • Voice
    • Anatomy & Physiology
    • Benign Vocal Cord Lesions
    • Vocal Cord Paralysis
    • Laryngeal Papilloma
    • Reinke’s Edema
    • Spasmodic Dysphonia
    • Granuloma
  • Airway
    • Airway Stenosis
  • Cancer
    • Laryngeal Cancer
  • Transgender
    • Transgender Voice
  • Contact

Laryngeal Papilloma 

​Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis 
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a chronic viral disease, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). It causes wart-like tumors to grow within the upper respiratory tract including larynx and vocal cords. Currently, there is no cure for this disease and even if resected aggressively, it may grow back after months or years. 
 
Symptoms
Papillomatosis can remain asymptomatic for quite some time, however, they grow on the vocal folds they become manifest much earlier. Typical symptoms include:
  • Hoarseness
  • Noisy breathing
  • Shortness of breath
Treatment
Laryngeal papillomatosis is a recurrent disease and patients may have to undergo multiple surgeries throughout their lifetime.  If not performed carefully, repeated surgeries to remove papilloma may lead to vocal cord scarring over time with permanent hoarseness. It is therefore crucial to consider not only treatment choices but also surveillance exams to detect early regrowth. Dr. Weidenbecher uses high-definition endoscopes with state-of-the-art diagnostic features (Narrow Band Imaging) to identify papilloma before it even causes symptoms. That way, any necessary intervention to remove papilloma has minimal impact on patients. 

Dr. Weidenbecher is a vocal cord specialist who understands how delicate vocal cords are and how to preserve their structure during surgery.   Multiple treatment options are available to remove laryngeal papilloma.  Dr. Weidenbecher uses a KTP laser which is highly effective against papilloma.  This new laser technique reduces damage to the normal layered structure of the vocal fold and preserves the normal voice. Recurring papilloma can be treated safely with the KTP laser again. For frequently recurring laryngeal papilloma,  bevacizumab (Avastin) can be injected into the vocal cord to block laryngeal papilloma growth on a molecular level.

The vast majority of RRP treatments can be done in the office and patients are usually able to go back to work the same or next day (see Office based procedures).
Picture
Papilloma in the anterior commissure, shown with regular lighting. Papilloma has a "strawberry" appearance and is very vascularized. Avastin can be injected intralesional to block papilloma growth
Picture
The same papilloma is seen much better using Narrow Band Imaging (NBI). Papilloma appears green/ brown.

Our office locations

MetroHealth Medical Center
2500 Metrohealth Dr.
​Cleveland, OH 44109​
MetroHealth Parma Health Center
12301 Snow Rd
​Parma, OH 44130

Contact

P (216) 778-4174
F (216) 957-0434
​email: clevelandvoiceandsleep@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
    • Sleep Apnea and Snoring
    • Laryngeal Cancer Surgery
    • Complex Airway Surgery
    • Vocal Cord Microsurgery
    • Office-Based Procedures
  • Sleep
    • Surgical Therapy
    • Inspire Therapy
    • Throat Surgery
    • Non-Surgical Therapy
  • Voice
    • Anatomy & Physiology
    • Benign Vocal Cord Lesions
    • Vocal Cord Paralysis
    • Laryngeal Papilloma
    • Reinke’s Edema
    • Spasmodic Dysphonia
    • Granuloma
  • Airway
    • Airway Stenosis
  • Cancer
    • Laryngeal Cancer
  • Transgender
    • Transgender Voice
  • Contact