Oral medicine and oral cancer: herpetic gingivostomatitis: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: herpetic gingivostomatitis

Sample item

A 3-year-old has fever, irritability, drooling, and numerous small vesicles that ulcerate on the gingiva, tongue and palate, with marked gingival swelling. Which agent is responsible and what is the treatment?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. HSV-1; supportive care with fluids and acyclovir

Primary herpetic gingivostomatitis is caused by HSV-1 in children and is treated with fluids, analgesia and acyclovir, especially if started early. The gingiva is diffusely inflamed, unlike in hand, foot and mouth disease.

Option by option

  • A. HSV-1; supportive care with fluids and acyclovir (correct)

    Correct. HSV-1 causes this picture and acyclovir shortens the course.

  • B. Candida albicans; nystatin

    Candida gives removable white plaques, not vesicles with fever.

  • C. Varicella zoster; amoxicillin

    Varicella gives skin vesicles and is not treated with amoxicillin.

  • D. Coxsackie A16; antibiotics

    Coxsackie A16 gives hand, foot and mouth disease and does not respond to antibiotics.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is A, HSV-1; supportive care with fluids and acyclovir. Primary herpetic gingivostomatitis is caused by HSV-1 in children and is treated with fluids, analgesia and acyclovir, especially if started early.

Why is "Candida albicans; nystatin" not the answer?

Candida gives removable white plaques, not vesicles with fever.

Why is "Varicella zoster; amoxicillin" not the answer?

Varicella gives skin vesicles and is not treated with amoxicillin.

Why is "Coxsackie A16; antibiotics" not the answer?

Coxsackie A16 gives hand, foot and mouth disease and does not respond to antibiotics.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: herpetic gingivostomatitis in Dentistry. The gingiva is diffusely inflamed, unlike in hand, foot and mouth disease.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine and oral cancer: herpetic gingivostomatitis?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.