Peer-reviewed article
Impact of HPV Vaccination on Juvenile Laryngeal Papillomas and Conjunctival Papillomas in Denmark: Incidence and Analysis of HPV Subtypes in Relation to Vaccination.
Aakilde M, Hansen J, Jacobsen IM, Bendtsen SK, Lelkaitis G et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This Danish study examines how HPV vaccination has affected rates of juvenile laryngeal and conjunctival papillomas, which are wart-like growths caused by HPV infection. Researchers reviewed national registry data from 2005 to 2024 and found that juvenile laryngeal papillomas occurred only in children born to unvaccinated mothers, while conjunctival papillomas showed a significant decline over time. The findings suggest the HPV vaccination programme has been effective in preventing these conditions in Danish children.
Key points
- Juvenile laryngeal papilloma incidence did not significantly decrease (0.190 per 100,000 in 2005-2013 vs 0.107 in 2014-2024, p=0.145), but all cases occurred in children of unvaccinated mothers
- Conjunctival papilloma incidence declined significantly from 2008 to 2024 with an annual percent change of -5.3% (p=0.002)
- HPV-6 or HPV-11 (low-risk types) were identified in 74.1% of laryngeal papilloma cases analysed
- 22 conjunctival papilloma patients had received HPV vaccination before their first biopsy, with a median 5 years and 8 months interval between vaccination and diagnosis
- No mothers of children with laryngeal papillomas had received HPV vaccination before delivery
Limitations
The study relies on registry data which may have incomplete vaccination records or missing HPV subtyping information. The study cannot definitively establish causal mechanisms or explain the smaller decline in laryngeal papillomas compared to conjunctival papillomas.
Abstract
Papillomas, predominantly caused by low-risk Human papillomavirus (HPV), can affect the respiratory tract and conjunctiva. This nationwide Danish registry study assesses the HPV vaccination programme's effectiveness in preventing juvenile laryngeal and conjunctival papillomas. Incidence rates were calculated using national registry data from 2005/2008 to 2024. In the Danish Pathology Registry, 33 juvenile laryngeal and 134 conjunctival papilloma patients were identified using SNOMED codes. HPV subtyping was performed in-house for laryngeal biopsies lacking prior data, yielding results for 27 patients. HPV-6 or -11 was identified in 74.1% of cases. Vaccination status was retrieved for conjunctival patients and for mothers of laryngeal patients. The incidence rate of juvenile laryngeal papillomas was 0.190 per 100,000 (2005-2013) and 0.107 (2014-2024) (p = 0.145). No mothers of laryngeal patients had received HPV vaccination before delivery. Conjunctival papilloma incidence declined from 2008 to 2024, with an annual percent change of -5.3% (p = 0.002). A total of 22 conjunctival patients were vaccinated before first biopsy, with a median interval of 5 years and 8 months between first dose and biopsy. In Denmark, juvenile laryngeal papilloma incidence remained low and occurred only in children of unvaccinated mothers, while conjunctival papillomas showed a significant decline consistent with a protective effect of the HPV vaccination programme.