Oral medicine and oral cancer: HIV-related lesions: 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: HIV-related lesions

Sample item

A 32-year-old man with HIV infection has a flat, painless, purple-red macule on the hard palate that has become nodular. Biopsy shows spindle cells and slit-like vascular spaces. Which virus is causally linked?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Human herpesvirus 8

Kaposi sarcoma is caused by human herpesvirus 8 and commonly presents on the palate in AIDS. The lesion is a vascular spindle cell tumour.

Option by option

  • A. Human papillomavirus 16

    HPV 16 is linked to oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma and warts.

  • B. Herpes simplex virus 1

    HSV-1 causes vesicles and ulcers, not a spindle cell tumour.

  • C. Epstein-Barr virus

    EBV is linked to oral hairy leukoplakia, not a vascular tumour.

  • D. Human herpesvirus 8 (correct)

    Correct. HHV-8 drives Kaposi sarcoma.

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 D, Human herpesvirus 8. Kaposi sarcoma is caused by human herpesvirus 8 and commonly presents on the palate in AIDS.

Why is "Human papillomavirus 16" not the answer?

HPV 16 is linked to oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma and warts.

Why is "Herpes simplex virus 1" not the answer?

HSV-1 causes vesicles and ulcers, not a spindle cell tumour.

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

EBV is linked to oral hairy leukoplakia, not a vascular tumour.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: HIV-related lesions in Dentistry. The lesion is a vascular spindle cell tumour.

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: HIV-related lesions?

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.