Objective: Describe factors associated with aggressive forms of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).
Materials and methods: One hundred eighty-nine RRP cases diagnosed between 1985 and 2009 were identified in pathological records. HPV was detected by the SPF-10 method with broad spectrum primers, (version 1).
Results: 113 patients had only one surgery (less aggressive) and 76, two or more interventions (more aggressive). The likelihood of aggressive lesions decreased with increasing age at diagnosis and HPV-11 was associated with no significant increase in the risk of aggressiveness.
Conclusions: The age at diagnosis was the main determinant of RRP aggressiveness.