Oral medicine and oral cancer: mucous patches of secondary syphilis: 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.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: mucous patches of secondary syphilis

Sample item

A 24-year-old man has a sore throat, a coppery maculopapular rash involving the palms and soles, and painless greyish-white erosions with a pink halo on the buccal mucosa and tongue. Which oral lesion is this?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Mucous patches of secondary syphilis

Mucous patches are painless, highly infectious, snail-track or greyish erosions seen in the secondary stage of syphilis, along with the palmoplantar rash. A gumma belongs to the tertiary stage and may perforate the palate. Serology and darkground or PCR confirmation guide treatment with penicillin.

Option by option

  • A. Gumma of tertiary syphilis

    A gumma is a destructive granulomatous lesion of late disease, seen years after infection and not with a fresh rash.

  • B. Mucous patches of secondary syphilis (correct)

    Correct. Painless greyish erosions with a palmoplantar rash are classic for secondary syphilis.

  • C. Major aphthous ulcers

    Major aphthae are deep, very painful ulcers and are not accompanied by a palmoplantar rash.

  • D. Koplik spots of measles

    Koplik spots are small white spots on a red base opposite the molars in prodromal measles.

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.

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Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is B, Mucous patches of secondary syphilis. Mucous patches are painless, highly infectious, snail-track or greyish erosions seen in the secondary stage of syphilis, along with the palmoplantar rash.

Why is "Gumma of tertiary syphilis" not the answer?

A gumma is a destructive granulomatous lesion of late disease, seen years after infection and not with a fresh rash.

Why is "Major aphthous ulcers" not the answer?

Major aphthae are deep, very painful ulcers and are not accompanied by a palmoplantar rash.

Why is "Koplik spots of measles" not the answer?

Koplik spots are small white spots on a red base opposite the molars in prodromal measles.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: mucous patches of secondary syphilis in Dentistry. A gumma belongs to the tertiary stage and may perforate the palate. Serology and darkground or PCR confirmation guide treatment with penicillin.

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: mucous patches of secondary syphilis?

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.