Image Based Question-66157

An HIV patient presented with a lesion on the tongue(which could not be wiped off) as shown in the image.This condition is caused by ?

A. HSV.

B. EBV.

C. CMV.

D. HPV.

Show Answer

Correct Answer » B Explanation

Ans;B. EBV

The condition shown in the picture above represents Oral hairy leukoplakia.

Oral Hairy leukoplakia

• It is a white patch on the side of the tongue with a corrugated or hairy appearance.

• It is caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) .

• It occurs usually in persons who are immunocompromised, especially those with human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)..

• The lesion is a white patch, which almost exclusively occurs on the lateral surfaces of the tongue, although rarely it may occur on the buccal mucosa, soft palate, pharynx or esophagus.

• The texture is vertically corrugated (“hairy”) or thickly furrowed and shaggy in appearance.

• The white appearance is created by hyperkeratosis (overproduction of keratin) and epithelial hyperplasia.

• There is no dysplasia (OHL is not a premalignant lesion).
  Treatment is not necessary since the lesion is benign