Recurrent Oral Herpes — NDEB AFK MCQ
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Correct answer: B — Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causing recurrent herpes labialis/intraoral herpes
HSV-1 is the most common viral cause of recurrent oral ulceration in immunocompetent adults, presenting as recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores on the vermilion border/perioral skin) or recurrent intraoral herpes (ulcers on keratinised mucosa — hard palate, attached gingiva). After primary infection (PHGS in childhood), the virus establishes latency in the trigeminal ganglion and reactivates periodically, triggered by UV exposure, stress, trauma, immunosuppression, or menstruation. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is NOT viral.
Reference: Neville – Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 4th ed., 2016