Key Points
Herpetic gingivostomatitis⎯treatment:
- symptomatic;
- rest and soft diet;
- paracetamol suspension;
- acyclovir.
After the primary infection the herpesvirus remains dormant in epithelial cells of the
host. Reactivation of the latent virus or reinfection in subjects with acquired immunity
occurs in adults. Recurrent disease presents as an attenuated intraoral form of the
primary infection or as herpes labialis, i.e. the common 'cold sore' on the
mucocutaneous border of the lips (606HFig. 11.2). Cold sores are treated by applying
acyclovir cream (5%, five times daily for about 5 days).
607H
Fig. 11.1 Ulcerative stage of primary
herpetic gingivostomatitis:(a) palatal
gingiva; (b) lower lip mucosa.608H
Fig. 11.2 Herpetic 'cold sore' at the
vermilion border of the lower lip.