Oral cavity & oropharynx
Infectious
Herpes simplex virus
Author: Patricia DeVilliers D.D.S., M.S.
Topic Completed: 1 August 2012
Minor changes: 12 October 2020
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PubMed Search: Herpes simplex virus[TI] oral[TI] full text[sb]
Cite this page: DeVilliers P Herpes simplex virus. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/oralcavityHSV.html. Accessed April 18th, 2021.
Definition / general
- Also called cold sore
- Usually HSV1
- Lasts 3 - 4 weeks, then virus tracks along regional nerves and becomes dormant in trigeminal or other local ganglia
- Most infected adults have latent HSV1 that is activated by upper respiratory infection, excessive exposure to cold, wind, sun, allergies
Acute herpetic gingivostomatitis:
- Rare, children 2 - 4 years with diffuse involvement of oral and pharyngeal mucosa, tongue, gingiva
- Fiery red mucosa and swelling with clusters of vesicles
Recurrent herpetic stomatitis:
- Groups of 1 - 3 mm vesicles on the lips, nasal orifices, buccal mucosa
- Lesions heal in 7 - 10 days
Tzanck test: microscopic examination of vesicle fluid shows giant cells, inclusions
Gross description
- Vesicles or bullae with clear serous fluid, painful shallow ulcers
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Intra and intercellular edema (acantholysis), intranuclear inclusions, multinucleate polykaryons (giant cells)
