OBJECTIVES: To revise the clinical features of the recurrent intraoral herpetic infection (RIOH) with respect to precipitating factors, demographic, clinical features and outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-eight, unrelated Caucasian, immunocompetent patients with positive laboratory test for intraoral Herpes simplex virus infection were studied. RESULTS: The mean age in the women's group (n=42) was 41.23 years (± 21.73) and in the men's group was 32.25 years (±15.68). Possible trigger factors were identified in 9 cases (15.5%). General symptoms were noted in 20 cases (34.48%). Most of patients in this study presented multiple lesions. 14 patients had vermillion lesions associated with intraoral lesions. In most of the cases both fixed and mobile mucosa was concomitantly involved. Treatment was prescribed in order to control the symptoms and to shorten the evolution with minimal side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoral secondary herpetic infection could be polymorphous and sometimes associated with general symptoms. The recognition of its atypical features may prevent unnecessary and costly investigations and treatments for unrelated though clinically similar-appearing disorders.
OBJECTIVES: To revise the clinical features of the recurrent intraoral herpetic infection (RIOH) with respect to precipitating factors, demographic, clinical features and outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-eight, unrelated Caucasian, immunocompetent patients with positive laboratory test for intraoral Herpes simplex virus infection were studied. RESULTS: The mean age in the women's group (n=42) was 41.23 years (± 21.73) and in the men's group was 32.25 years (±15.68). Possible trigger factors were identified in 9 cases (15.5%). General symptoms were noted in 20 cases (34.48%). Most of patients in this study presented multiple lesions. 14 patients had vermillion lesions associated with intraoral lesions. In most of the cases both fixed and mobile mucosa was concomitantly involved. Treatment was prescribed in order to control the symptoms and to shorten the evolution with minimal side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoral secondary herpetic infection could be polymorphous and sometimes associated with general symptoms. The recognition of its atypical features may prevent unnecessary and costly investigations and treatments for unrelated though clinically similar-appearing disorders.