Oral medicine and oral cancer: herpes zoster of the trigeminal nerve: 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: herpes zoster of the trigeminal nerve

Sample item

A 58-year-old has 2 days of severe unilateral toothache in the upper molars, but the teeth are sound and vital. The next day clusters of vesicles appear on one half of the hard palate, stopping at the midline. What is the diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Herpes zoster of the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve

Zoster can cause pain that mimics toothache before the vesicles appear, and the unilateral distribution that stops at the midline follows the nerve. Treatment is early oral aciclovir or valaciclovir.

Option by option

  • A. Herpangina

    Herpangina affects the soft palate and tonsillar pillars of children, bilaterally.

  • B. Herpes zoster of the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve (correct)

    Correct. Unilateral vesicles on the palate following a nerve division indicate zoster.

  • C. Recurrent herpes labialis

    Herpes labialis affects the lip border and does not stop at a midline on the palate.

  • D. Hand, foot and mouth disease

    Hand, foot and mouth disease is bilateral with lesions on the hands and feet.

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 B, Herpes zoster of the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve. Zoster can cause pain that mimics toothache before the vesicles appear, and the unilateral distribution that stops at the midline follows the nerve.

Why is "Herpangina" not the answer?

Herpangina affects the soft palate and tonsillar pillars of children, bilaterally.

Why is "Recurrent herpes labialis" not the answer?

Herpes labialis affects the lip border and does not stop at a midline on the palate.

Why is "Hand, foot and mouth disease" not the answer?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is bilateral with lesions on the hands and feet.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: herpes zoster of the trigeminal nerve in Dentistry. Treatment is early oral aciclovir or valaciclovir.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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: herpes zoster of the trigeminal nerve?

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.