Oral medicine and oral cancer: scarlet fever tongue: 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.

Try it

Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: scarlet fever tongue

Sample item

A 7-year-old has a sore throat, a fine sandpaper-textured rash and a white-coated tongue with prominent red papillae. Which organism is responsible?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Group A Streptococcus

Scarlet fever is caused by group A streptococcus producing an erythrogenic toxin. The tongue passes from white strawberry to red strawberry as the coating peels, with pharyngitis and a sandpaper rash.

Option by option

  • A. Epstein-Barr virus

    EBV causes mononucleosis with exudative tonsillitis and no sandpaper rash.

  • B. Measles virus

    Measles shows Koplik spots and a maculopapular rash.

  • C. Staphylococcus aureus

    Staphylococcal toxin causes toxic shock or scalded skin syndromes, not a classic strawberry tongue with sore throat.

  • D. Group A Streptococcus (correct)

    Correct. Erythrogenic toxin from group A streptococcus causes scarlet fever.

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.

More Dentistry questions

Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is D, Group A Streptococcus. Scarlet fever is caused by group A streptococcus producing an erythrogenic toxin.

Why is "Epstein-Barr virus" not the answer?

EBV causes mononucleosis with exudative tonsillitis and no sandpaper rash.

Why is "Measles virus" not the answer?

Measles shows Koplik spots and a maculopapular rash.

Why is "Staphylococcus aureus" not the answer?

Staphylococcal toxin causes toxic shock or scalded skin syndromes, not a classic strawberry tongue with sore throat.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: scarlet fever tongue in Dentistry. The tongue passes from white strawberry to red strawberry as the coating peels, with pharyngitis and a sandpaper rash.

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: scarlet fever tongue?

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.