Natasa Teovska Mitrevska: Treatment of Benign Papilloma in the Oropharynx With Erbium:YAG Laser
Oral squamous cell papillomas are smaller than 1 cm in diameter, painless, and can occur anywhere in the oral cavity in patients over a wide age range. They have papillary (warty) projections and are often pedunculated. The lesions may have a white appearance if excessive keratinisation is present. Squamous cell papillomas are most often associated with HPV-6 and 11 and are not premalignant. Erbium:YAG laser is the treatment of choice.
A 25-year-old male was referred with a complaint of soft-tisue mass between his uvula and palatum molle. According to the history, this lesion had developed two months earlier. Clinical examination showed that there was a pink-coloured lesion extending from the middle line of the uvulae and approximately 0.7 cm in length. There was nothing abnormal in his systemic review. The lesion was completely excised from its connection under local anesthesia with Erbium:YAG. Pathology revealed characteristic findings of a squamous papilloma, including multiple squamous lined papillary fronds containing fibrovascular cores. A month later, the clinical follow-up showed complete tissue healing. A one year of follow-up was done and no evidence of recurrence of the lesion was noted.
Oral squamous papillomas can be found in the oral cavity and the clinical diagnosis of these lesions is important. Laser can be used by ENT surgeons to treat these kinds of oral lesions and should be considered as an alternative to conventional surgery.
