Oral medicine and oral cancer: hand, foot and mouth disease: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: hand, foot and mouth disease

Sample item

A 4-year-old has fever, painful oral ulcers and small vesicles on the palms and soles, and several classmates are similarly affected. Which virus is the usual cause?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Coxsackie A16

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by enteroviruses, most often Coxsackie A16. It is self-limiting and treated supportively.

Option by option

  • A. Coxsackie A16 (correct)

    Correct. Coxsackie A16 is the commonest cause.

  • B. Varicella zoster virus

    VZV causes vesicles on the trunk and not typically on palms and soles with oral ulcers.

  • C. HSV-1

    HSV-1 produces gingivostomatitis without palm and sole lesions.

  • D. Parvovirus B19

    Parvovirus B19 causes slapped cheek disease.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Dentistry questions

Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is A, Coxsackie A16. Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by enteroviruses, most often Coxsackie A16.

Why is "Varicella zoster virus" not the answer?

VZV causes vesicles on the trunk and not typically on palms and soles with oral ulcers.

Why is "HSV-1" not the answer?

HSV-1 produces gingivostomatitis without palm and sole lesions.

Why is "Parvovirus B19" not the answer?

Parvovirus B19 causes slapped cheek disease.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: hand, foot and mouth disease in Dentistry. It is self-limiting and treated supportively.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine and oral cancer: hand, foot and mouth disease?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.