Trends in the management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in Japan

Objective Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) has historically been and still continues to be a difficult disease to treat. The present study aimed to characterize current practices in the treatment of RRP in Japan. Methods A questionnaire was posted to the Department of Otolaryngology of all 80 central university hospitals in Japan. Results A total of 56 universities responded to the survey. Regarding the use of surgical instruments, a trend toward a preference for lasers (50 hospitals) rather than a microdebrider (16 hospitals) or cold instruments (20 hospitals) was observed. Among the 50 hospitals frequently performing laser surgery, a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) laser was most commonly used, followed by a potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser. The most favored adjuvant therapy was traditional Chinese medicine. Eight of the 56 university hospitals had an experience of using cidofovir, involving a total of 28 patients. Conclusion The present study demonstrated the current trends in the management of RRP based on a questionnaire survey in a geographical area other than the US and UK for the first time. Treatment trends were generally similar in all three areas except for the least popular use of cidofovir in Japan.