Background and objective: Although the estimated incidence and prevalence of juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JORRP) has been determined in countries in North America and Europe and in Australia, no studies have attempted to determine the incidence or prevalence of JORRP in African countries. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence and prevalence of JORRP in the Free State province of South Africa and Lesotho.

Methods

This was a retrospective study in which the records of all patients with JORRP from the Free State province of South Africa or Lesotho treated at Universitas Academic Hospital or by otorhinolaryngologists in private practice between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2013 were reviewed.

Results

The estimated incidence and prevalence of JORRP in the Free State were 1.34 and 3.88 per 100,000 population respectively while the estimated incidence and prevalence in Lesotho were 0.49 and 1.04 per 100,000 population respectively. However, these figures are probably an underestimation.

Conclusion

The incidence and prevalence calculated for the Free State were generally higher than those found in other studies, while those calculated for Lesotho was similar to those obtained in other studies.