Correct diagnosis of respiratory papillomatosis often delayed

Children who develop recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), in which human papilloma virus causes tumors in the trachea, bronchi, and lungs, often have a hard time getting the correct diagnosis. Because RRP is rare, pediatricians tend to diagnose affected children with more common respiratory disorders such as asthma or croup, according to a report in the November 2006 issue of Pediatrics. Unfortunately, by the time some children are correctly identified as having RRP, the tumors in their airways may have become quite large. The doctors who wrote the paper recommend that pediatricians think of RRP when children don't respond to treatment of more common disorders.