Squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs arising in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Abstract

Squamous papillomas of the lung are an uncommon feature of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), occurring in fewer than 1% of cases. We describe an 18-year-old male patient with pulmonary papilloma who developed a fatal squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Both benign papillomas and invasive carcinoma were positive for human papilloma virus subtype 6 and 11. These findings suggest that HPV 6 and 11 are correlated with malignant transformation in the setting of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis even without tobacco or radiation exposure.