Hygiene Atlas

Atlas · Plate VI · Microbiology and Immunology · 03

Oral infections

Candida albicans causes pseudomembranous thrush, which wipes off to leave a red base, and red erythematous candidiasis under dentures. Viral causes include HSV-1 (primary gingivostomatitis and recurrent cold sores), varicella-zoster (shingles that stops at the midline), Coxsackie A (herpangina and hand-foot-and-mouth disease), Epstein-Barr virus (hairy leukoplakia) and HPV, whose types 16 and 18 are high risk for cancer.

High-yield facts · 8

  1. Candida albicans causes oral candidiasis; risk factors include dentures, antibiotics, inhaled steroids, xerostomia, diabetes and HIV.T5
  2. Pseudomembranous candidiasis wipes off and leaves a red base; erythematous candidiasis is red and commonly under dentures.T5
  3. HSV-1 causes primary herpetic gingivostomatitis (often in children) and recurrent herpes labialis.T5
  4. Herpes lesions are most contagious in the vesicle stage; postpone elective care.T2
  5. Varicella-zoster reactivation (shingles) follows a nerve and stops at the midline.T5
  6. Coxsackie A causes herpangina (posterior soft palate) and hand-foot-and-mouth disease.T5
  7. Epstein-Barr virus causes infectious mononucleosis (palatal petechiae) and oral hairy leukoplakia (lateral tongue, in immunosuppression).T5
  8. HPV 6 and 11 cause benign papillomas and warts; HPV 16 and 18 are high-risk for cancer.T5

Facts are written in our own words; each tag links to its source. Values marked "sources vary" differ between references, so check the one your program uses.